Meaningful ways to make an impact
When your marketing budget is tight—and let’s face it, for most of us that’s a constant—you want innovative ways to get your word across. The #goodmom movement is doing just that with a simple but effective technique involving custom-printed Post-it® Notes. That’s right, promotional sticky notes are helping the message stick, in what is otherwise known as guerrilla marketing.
What’s guerrilla marketing? And how can you put this trend to work for you?
Guerrilla marketing leverages low-cost, unconventional strategies to raise awareness of your brand, create a movement or draw attention to a campaign. These marketing techniques have gained new ground in the age of social media—so although the phrase was coined in 1983—guerrilla marketing today has entirely new avenues to explore. For example, many recall the summer of 2014 and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, where this guerrilla marketing tactic went viral and raised $220 million while also raising awareness for the cause. These avenues make guerrilla marketing a powerful tool for creating meaningful connections with prospects, even as they are inundated with marketing messages.
When you have limited resources, effective guerrilla marketing can provide excellent bang for your buck by:
- Engaging your audiences
- Enlisting them in the marketing strategy
- Raising awareness of your brand.
And who knows? You might just start a trend with your efforts, like the #goodmom movement. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was guerrilla marketing at its finest!
How promotional sticky notes got the #goodmom movement to connect with audiences
The #goodmom movement is the brainchild of blogger Chelsea Baratto of 700 smiles, which takes an unflinching look at motherhood. For her, the trip from pregnancy into motherhood was a rollercoaster ride: the frustration and pain of fertility treatments, the joy of the new arrival, the heartache of realizing her new baby had a cleft lip, and then the mountain of challenges that come with being a new mom. In the midst of her struggles, she had a moment of clarity: She knew she wasn’t alone.
“No matter which way you get pregnant and go through labor, it’s just really hard. And being a mom in general is really hard,” Baratto says. “And in this age of social media, everyone is just showing their best face and looking like they have everything together.”
People, Baratto noticed, were sharing the highlights of their lives on social media, but not so much the lowlights. “I just feel like we’re kind of in a lose/lose right now because of all the pressure we put on ourselves and society puts on us,” Baratto explains.
Her solution: Custom-printed Post-it Notes, emblazoned with a hashtag.
Spreading support that sticks with Post-it Notes
Inspired by the movie Bad Moms, Baratto determined that mothers needed some support, so she launched the #goodmom movement. At its core, it was a guerrilla marketing move: a low-cost, innovative way to support mothers everywhere while also promoting her blog.
“I was just brainstorming how we could set this in motion. And obviously social media is really powerful, but I wanted to think of something more personal. So the best thing that my mom brain could come up with was Post-it Notes.”
Deceptively simple, the idea was to enlist the public to stick mom-positive Post-it Notes on cars, in bathrooms, anywhere moms who could use a lift might be. The message:
“Hey momma, you’re doing a great job.”
Messaging that binds through guerilla marketing and thoughtful, custom giveaways
The idea caught on, and Baratto got the chance to see its impact firsthand. With the help of a personalized promotional item: custom Post-it® Notes – 3″ x 4″. Baratto made a real impact at a recent new mom expo event, and the Post-it Notes gave Baratto the chance to talk about the #goodmom movement.
And that conversation brought the house to tears.
“I explained the Post-it Notes, and people started crying. It was emotional: I was crying, and they were crying. These were strangers that it really struck a chord with,” Baratto said. “I guess I feel like I’m really on to something here.”
Baratto’s #goodmom movement is a reflection of her voice and perspective on her blog: positive, hopeful and kind. “We just need to support one another no matter what is happening. Everyone is doing the best they can, there’s no right or wrong,” says Chelsea Baratto. “We need to flip this.”
Transferring #goodmom movement guerilla marketing to your brand
Who knew that starting a movement could be as simple as promotional sticky notes? Of course, you have many other affordable promotional product options to use for kicking off your guerrilla marketing initiative. No matter your brand or which custom promotional products you choose, guerrilla marketing creates trends reflective of your brand, your organization’s goals and your unique vision of the future.
