Relationship marketing is to market based on a level of permission or connection. It is essentially the opposite of interruption marketing which comes out of context and sometimes uninvited. Also known as permission marketing as Seth Godin made popular, it is a fact that someone who has invited your message is much more likely to purchase your services. This week I’m highlighting relationship marketing, which brings us to

Relationship Marketing Example 1: Offer a Sample

If you must do interruption marketing, let it be an opportunity to request permission. The secret method put simply is to turns strangers into contacts, contacts into friends and friends into customers. Let’s say you interrupt someone’s television show to tell them about a new cleaning product. And let’s just say that (instead of rudely expecting them to make a snap decision) you invite viewers to request a free sample via your website.

Well Proctor and Gamble did this very thing with a new product within the Mr. Clean brand. Not only we’re they able to make a huge impact at driving people to stores for product, they captured data from all the people willing to test the product. The interruption approach was only used to pry out the relevant listeners for a short time frame. This allowed them to see where their founding users are and create a direct marketing relationship.

Not only is the sphere of influence a valuable result, but the free sample drove the number of people willing to try the product up. Once you start using a consumable product and like it, you are more likely to pay a higher price (considerate of value) for it on a regular basis.

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