Nike Platinum golf balls aspiring to find their “golden ticket” a la Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.The “golden ticket” is actually a specially colored golf ball hidden among eleven other balls all packaged in a cube-shaped box. No doubt, Nike’s betting golf dreamers from all over the US will reach for their wallets for a modern day equivalent of a Willy Wonka led tour inside the chocolate factory…teeing off with Tiger Woods looking on. TV spots with Tiger needling “actor” versions of grand prize winners have already aired this past weekend during the ATT National, a PGA tour event that Tiger hosts in Bethesda, Maryland.
Unlike the golden ticket winners in the Wonka contest, securing a special golf ball doesn’t exactly get you through the gate for a date at the tee box with Tiger – it’s simply an entry into a sweepstakes. There are 2,000 sweepstake qualifiers; from that pool only 24 lucky winners get drawn to have Tiger watch their knees wobble and heart palpitate while he looks on.Each of the 2,000 qualifiers make the “Tee it off with Tiger” map (below), that is, each person that receives a “special platinum colored” golf ball or, as it turns out, wins an online
golf game at Nike’s site, gets a special code number.
I’m guessing Nike will sell a lot of golf balls. Why? Because people want to be able to tell a story. How many people can say they had Tiger Woods, arguably the most prolific sports icon of our time, watch them tee off – ever? (I realize non-golfers may not exactly have goose bumps). It doesn’t matter that each participant has a 1-in-a- gazillion chance of winning. They will get to mention their name in the same sentence with Tiger Woods to anyone who will listen.
The message for sellers: stories are powerful. They help potential buyers connect with you at an emotional level. Indeed, people buy on emotion and justify their decisions with logic (Jeffrey Gitomer).
2. Who’s telling your story? In a world of remote workers and telecommuters, sharing great stories within an organization may take some effort but will provide great returns. If you’ve got more than one story, cross-pollinate.
3. Does it inspire them? Why might your customers want to become part of that story? You don’t need Tiger Woods or Willy Wonka at the other end to get the customer emotionally involved in your story. The key lies in whether it inspires them to share that story with others.
In 1996, while still fighting cancer throughout his body, Lance Armstrong established the Lance Armstrong Foundation. To exemplify the attraction to just getting within the glow of the story, the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s 2008 Summit has confirmed attendance of Senator John McCain and is waiting for confirmation from Senator Barak Obama.
Another power of effective stories involves their viral nature. I didn’t need to buy a single Nike One golf ball to share Nike’s story with all of you.
