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How do you market an unpleasant odour?

by DianaHeuser
17 replies
I have a challenge. I am busy working on a non-IM niche where the main symptom of a particular condition is a bad smell.

My challenge is how to approach that in marketing. Do I use humour? Do I get serious?

I was trying to think of some FB advert copy that I could perhaps use and I did laugh at this one "Click LIKE if you smell" ... which somehow I don't think is going to work.

Di
#market #odour #unpleasant
  • Profile picture of the author Ewan Lumsden
    Banned
    The best route for this is probably humour. Can't see it converting too well if it's all serious.
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...o-i-smell.html

    looks like this is what you need
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    | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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    • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
      Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

      Thanks Pete. I was actually just reading that post. She is funny

      Di
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      • Profile picture of the author Myles Sinclair
        If your target audience is the people that suffer with this condition, I doubt they will see it as something to laugh about.

        Good health is something we tend to take for granted, and it's really not funny when you lose it. I would go with the more serious, professional approach with anything medical.
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        • Profile picture of the author fin
          I would definitely go for shame and social humiliation/embarrassment.

          That's why I stay away from the smells niche.
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          • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
            I read a case study of the well known odor eliminating product "Febreeze' in the book "The Power of Habit": It just did not sell. The marketing department video taped women using the product and started to carefully record their reactions.

            After a bit someone noticed that the women smiled in satisfaction after using the product. In this case the best way to market was to focus on the benefits and good feelings that resulted after using it.

            So instead of sales being generated from fear of odors, the sales are generated from the reward of the product being a finishing touch!
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  • Profile picture of the author megansays
    I agree with Myles that you should opt for seriousness. If it were a bad smell related to something else, humor would probably be a better choice.

    If someone is having odor issues, they're going to be pretty self-conscious about it, so if you try for humor, they might feel as though you're laughing at them or not taking it seriously enough. Easier to convert if you sympathize and sound professional.
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  • Profile picture of the author ChocolateCheese
    You ask whether you should use humor for this, so let me ask you something.

    Image you're a high school student and you have irritable bowel syndrome and one day you let out a fart and it's A LOT louder than you expected - in fact, EVERYONE heard it.
    And EVERYONE is looking at you.
    And the other kids are cracking up and laughing about it. Now, was that funny? Yeah, to the others. And maybe to yourself in retrospective. But at that time it wasn't funny for you at all.

    Don't try to be humorous. Try to be compassionate.

    It's a real problem these people have. Put yourself in their shoes. Try to experience what it feels like.

    A funny ad might get you more clicks - but what kind of visitor does that bring you? Not the people who are most likely to be willing to pay for the solution you have to offer, but those who think: "Hey, hahaha, that's so funny".

    My suggestion would be something like:

    Bad Body Odor?
    Natural, fast, easy and cheap method
    to stop unpleasant body smells.

    You already know the problem they have. Offer them a solution instead of being witty to get attention.
    Of course, as always: TEST what works, nobody knows for sure until they've tried.
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  • Profile picture of the author bwh1
    I would say that you use scarcity.

    Those folks usually don't know themselves if they "smell bad" before someone tell's them.

    So you should ask some like

    "Think You Suffer From xxxx? Discover the 5 crucial questions to figure out if you have xxx and find out how to manage the problem fast and easy!"

    G.
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  • Profile picture of the author TorinoGray
    I think it all depends on the condition. If it's a serious condition, humor probably won't go over well.

    If it's a condition that is rather common and easy to remedy, I say go with the humor. Or at least try to work in some humor. People feel alienated like they are the only one it happens to for many common problems. Be the one that markets differently.

    If you go with funny, I would love to take a peek!!

    **Disclaimer I have made a pretax IM income of 6 dollars!
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  • Profile picture of the author joseph7384
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      I haven't seen it in years, but I remember an ad that showed a woman with a gas problem. The product was similar to Beano, in that it was supposed to prevent the problem.

      In the opening shot, it showed an attractive woman walking down the aisle of a grocery store, calmly putting items in her cart. Behind her were other shoppers who, when they reached the same spot, would make "that face" when they found the silent-but-deadly booby trap waiting for them.

      One of those shoppers, a kindly looking grandmother type, surreptitiously dropped a bottle of the product in the woman's cart as she walked by, whispering "I've been there."

      Humor does not have to be mean, in-your-face, ridicule. As others have mentioned, though, it depends on the nature of the condition as to the appropriateness of humor.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
    Originally Posted by DianaHeuser View Post

    I have a challenge. I am busy working on a non-IM niche where the main symptom of a particular condition is a bad smell.

    My challenge is how to approach that in marketing. Do I use humour? Do I get serious?

    I was trying to think of some FB advert copy that I could perhaps use and I did laugh at this one "Click LIKE if you smell" ... which somehow I don't think is going to work.

    Di
    Hey Di,

    Good post!

    It is a tricky one (as well as smelly)

    I would use both - like be serious about the condition and then make it more light-hearted with humor.

    "We love smelly people! - CLICK LIKE"

    "We stink too! - CLICK LIKE"

    "Smell good or bad is a matter of taste! - CLICK LIKE"

    Actually harder than I thought - hope this helps a little?

    Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
    Thank you all.

    There are some really good perspectives here.

    It's definitely not an easy one.

    Di

    [Edit] Which brings me to my next question: If you sufferred from this condition would you be comfortable "Liking' a Facebook Page which covers this condition? Bearing in mind that this is VERY public.
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  • Profile picture of the author richrowley
    I think a bit of humour is good but you have to keep serious detail and all the medical facts in your campaigns.

    I think keep the mood light but know what you're talking about.

    Kinda like a Doctor with a good bed side manner!

    Rich
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    They laughed til I cried. Thanks to xxxx I cry no more.

    Now people can breath (around me) again thanks to xxx

    As others have said it depends on the condition and the target market.

    George Wright, P.S. Don't hold your breath until we solve this for you
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    "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
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  • Profile picture of the author megansays
    I wouldn't like a page, but perhaps I might join a closed group to talk about it, if it's the type of condition that people might benefit from talking to each other about. Closed groups don't allow anyone else to see what users post, so the benefit of anonymity applies.

    On that note, it's funny how FB has changed the Internet world. Remember when you weren't supposed to give out your real name, EVER? Now, people get to know each other, post personal information, and have no problem with the fact that their real name is shown to everyone. It's nice in a way, because I think it helps keep people more honest.
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