Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey created an old-fashioned cir-
cus parade, similar to the ones that occurred over 50 years ago,
featuring circus performers, animals from the show, old circus
wagons, marching bands, and lots of horses.
To get attention, you sometimes have to be unique and cre-
ative. As people see increasingly outrageous TV shows and con-
tests, marketers have to continue to stand out to grab the attention
of their target market.
When planning a street promotion, you must consider weather,
risk, and outside influences that might disrupt the stunt. Not
everyone may be as excited as you about your promotion. If it is
raining, you may not draw as many spectators as you had ex-
pected. If the promotion causes traffic jams, the people stuck in
traffic will have other thoughts about your promotion.
People love to get something for free, whether it is big or small,
so when you think of street promotions all it may take for a little
attention is to give something away to the public. By giving away
something for free, you guarantee some type of interest and ex-
citement. Make sure the “freebie” has a connection to the event; it
Street Promotions and Other Unique Promotions 161Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
You have to be careful about how wild your stunts can
be. When you come out of a successful brainstorming ses-
sion, there may be a temptation to do a stunt or street
promotion that may be too bizarre or may not be legal.
You have to remember that if something goes wrong or
the stunt alienates the public, there may be more negative
attention or publicity that could then end up harming the
event.
To promote the opening of a boat show, which took
place in the middle of the winter, we got one wacky per-
son to water-ski with just a bathing suit on the almost-
frozen river that borders the city. In the end, we were
lucky our water-skier did not fall into the freezing waters,
which could have produced a dangerous situation. He did
not, and we saw hundreds pull over to the side of the
road, a little confused as they watched him perform tricks
in front of photographers and reporters.