Marketing tips from Honey Boo Boo

By Elise Hacking Carr

2. It Isn’t Merely “What It Is”
I apologize for mentioning this overused expression, but salespeople (in any industry) need to “think outside of the box.” HBB and her family are not rolling in the dough, which means they need to be creative if HBB is going to continue to enter beauty pageants. Think about it. There are elaborate dresses to buy, coaches to hire and entry fees to pay. So, what does HBB do? Everything from selling lemonade to playing Bingo (Sidenote: Are 6-year-olds allowed to play bingo for money?). Meanwhile, June Shannon (HBB’s mother), feeds her entire clan on a budget of $80 per week by furiously clipping coupons and she acquires child support checks from her four children’s respective fathers. Obviously, don’t use these specific tactics to boost sales—just borrow the creativity aspect. Today (or ever), no one can afford to (or should) be mere “product pushers.” Do you have an “awesome” product that I should buy simply because it’s “awesome”? You have to do better than that. Why is it awesome? How can your product benefit me, your customer? I should order 500 pens … just because? How do I know what product is best for my promotion? How do I know how many to order? Consider this an SOS call. I need to be able to count on my contact to collaborate with me on a solution that benefits everyone.

3. If All Else Fails, Capitalize on HBB
According to TMZ, in the fourth episode of HBB, little HBB brought Glitzy the pig to Lucy Lu’s Boutique to get fitted for a “piggy dress” (Piggy dress? Genius! See Point #2.) Unfortunately, Glitzy had a slight meltdown and in response, the store enforced a “No-Pig Policy”. However, that didn’t stop Lucy Lu, owner, from making a profit off of HBB. After that particular episode aired, the boutique began selling bright-pink HBB T-shirts for $15 each. Lucy Lu said, in less than a week, they sold out of all 350 shirts. The bright pink shirt features an image of a pig sporting a crown with the slogan: “No Pigs Allowed Honey Boo Boo Child.” The store's name and location are imprinted in a prime position, centered directly below the image and slogan. Lucy Lu went on to tell TMZ a percentage of the profits will benefit two charities: an anti-bullying group and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This shirt accomplished three things: It made a tidy profit off a hot catch-phrase; it attracted attention to the company (town residents and beyond definitely are now familiar with Lucy Lu's Boutique); and the choice of color not only was reminiscent of the animal, but it doubled as a popular awareness color for Breast Cancer Awareness month, with the added bonus of donated proceeds. Don't overthink it too much, but can you come up with a multifaceted goal for your next promotion?