Someone in Japan came up this idea — would it be interesting to sell 5 second stopwatch? Apparently, enough people think it is.
The way it works is this, you hit start and attempt to stop exactly at 5 seconds. The closer you get, the better you are at. It shows no digits once you hit start until you hit stop, then you know if you’re at 5.32 seconds or 4.68 seconds.
Stupid concept? Maybe it is and may be not. People are buying this toy and playing with it at school, work and home. It’s small enough that it’ll fit into your pocket, then simple enough that can kill your time when you have nothing else to do.
Tell a Story by Giving Less
Sometimes, we business owners talk ourselves out of a sale by promoting ”too much”. We’re so excited about whatever we’re doing and our “pitch” gets lost in translation. If your customers aren’t getting the message you’re trying to convey, then it’s time to revisit your promotional message, isn’t it?
As simple (or stupid?) this idea it seems, it’s exceptionally easy to spread. It’s the same way Twitter spreads, and it’s the same way that any other sticky ideas spread far and wide.
By keeping concept simple, it gives people the ability to control. It’s up to the recipient of the message to make it interesting – the same way Twitter works. It’s not Twitter that’s interesting, but it’s what people do with Twitter, that’s interesting.
Most marketing messages today attempt to control your behavior, but what if you empower your customers with the ability to control your product? They’re in charge, not you.
What if your product elicits a behavior that’s interesting for them? It’s the same way BMW empowers drivers when they’re behind the steering wheel.
How about your product or service? Can it give a simple concept easy to spread?
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