By Mark Scott, director, Market MontGOmery Chamber & Tourism • One morning on the way to work I heard about a tourist spot in Northern Ireland that is so popular they’re limiting visits to 180 tourists a day so the land doesn’t get trampled and ruined.
The day before, I heard that the house featured in the movie “The Bird Box” is getting throngs of visitors stopping for blindfolded pictures in front of the house.
The 28th annual Uwharrie Mountain Run – featuring runs of 8, 20 and 40 miles on Feb. 2 – sold out via online registration nearly three months ago.
Thousands of people go to Thomasville, N.C., each year to see a big chair they cannot sit in.
How do certain things become so popular while others languish in mediocrity?
Bringing attention to a product, place or event is important. Having the best mouse trap does not matter if no one knows about it.
Many use celebrity spokespeople to endorse their products. Think about the millions of dollars Michael Jordan was paid by Nike. He generated much more than what they paid him and Nike is still a leading sports apparel brand today, reporting an increase in revenue of 6 percent to $36.4 billion in fiscal year 2018.
In 1985 Jordan wore “Air Jordan” shoes during much of the NBA season and by May 1985 Nike had sold and received orders for $70 million worth of those shoes alone, while company revenues jumped 37 percent.
Many people want to “be like Mike” and be identified with popular things and people. That’s why people visit the house featured in “The Bird Box,” and Wilmington boasts that “Dawson’s Creek” was filmed there for six seasons and people can take a walking tour of various places where James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and others were filmed.
Celebrity connections help, but how about things like the big chair in Thomasville, a race through the Uwharries, etc? Next week we’ll continue to explore how to find your niche in the crowded world of marketing.