1. Exactly what is a “Wow Factor” and why is it so important to have one?

Put simply, a “wow factor” is something which evokes the response “wow!” And I am not trying to be silly when I give this response. It really is that simple. It’s amazing that in real life, we all clearly understand why certain things make us say “wow,” whether it be Tom Cruise in a smouldering scene in a movie, the winner of the Miss Universe contest, a stunning architecturally designed house on the waterfront, a giant plasma TV screen on the lounge room wall or the bright red sportscar convertible – each of these things evokes our natural reaction to say “wow!”.

However, when it comes to marketing our company’s services or products, for some reason, we tend to forget the power of evoking a response of “wow” or “gosh”. Out of habit, we simple roll out the tired old advertising clichés such as “summer sale”, “this one won’t last”, “hurry or you’ll miss out” etc. With all of us being bombarded with thousands of different messages each day from the TV screen, radio, outdoor billboards, newspapers and magazines, we need to be “wowed” or else no one will get our attention.

2. What are some good examples of “Wow Factoring”?

One of the most stunning examples of delivering a “wow factor” in a marketing message has been the Virgin Airlines/Jetstar airfare war.

Jetstar had no brand presence whatsoever in the marketplace and created one overnight, by using a clever “$29 airfare pricetag” as the major focus of its launch campaign.

Forget the advertising campaign. When you deliver a “wow” as big as this, you are all over the front page of the newspapers and the first item on all news bulletins!

Mind you, this “pricing tactic” was probably predictable, given that Jetstar was following on the heels of a very successful similar marketing program by Virgin Airlines.

And of course, there is no need to tell you just how successful Virgin’s creator, Richard Branson, has been with “wow factoring”. He is a master at it and continues to grab air time and column centimetres by adding a “wow” to just about everything he does.

Retailer Harvey Norman, is another great exponent of “wow factor advertising”, an example being his “2 and 3 year” interest free sales. Again, he quickly revolutionised the whitegoods and furniture industries by using “wow techniques” in his marketing - and continues to do so today.

McDonald’s and other Fast Food chains are also excellent exponents of providing lots of “wow” to their menu marketing. And although theatrical licensed premiums (ie: Disney toys etc.) are predominantly the marketing tool used to create the “wow effect”, many of their meal combos also have their own inherent “wow appeal”.

Other examples are the “20% extra for free” offers with the various chocolate bars, the Midnight Sales for the launch of new music albums, the Half-Yearly Retail Sales, the special Pre-launch Screenings of new cinema releases and the various off-season Fiji Holiday Deals of 6 nights for $599, etc.” There are lots of other examples of course, but by mentioning a few of these, hopefully you get the idea.

If it doesn’t make you say “wow” then it isn’t a “Wow Factor”. It is as simple as that. (And yes, Hollywood stars, Pamela Anderson and Jennifer Lopez, both know all about “wow factoring!” I haven’t seen too many swim suit photos of either, without saying to myself “wow!”)

3. Does every business have a “Wow Factor”?

No, perhaps your services or product range currently does not have a “Wow Factor”. If that is the case, then it is time for thinking about how to develop one, so that you can differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Can you offer 24-hour guaranteed turnaround, a 2 for 1 special offer, a value-add bonus or even the good old free set of steak knives?

These are the sort of questions you need to be asking yourself before embarking on your next advertising/marketing campaign.

4. If I’m a small/medium-sized business, what sort of “Wow Factors” can I come up with?

Only recently, I purchased a barbecued chicken from a local small shop and was given a “loyalty card” about the size of a business card. The manager stamped one of the six squares on the card and explained to me when all six squares had been stamped, I would receive a free barbecued chicken!

Likewise, you might see the same sort of loyalty “wow factor” scheme working at various family-owned coffee shops, where you get a free cappuccino after receiving 10 stamps, for example. These are classic cases of small businesses “thinking entrepreneurally”, providing customers with an appropriate “wow factor” in order to stimulate repetitive trade and ongoing loyalty.

Bakers Delight is another example of this style of “wow”, incentivising repetitive trade by stamping cards for customers, which ultimately result in a free loaf of bread after a certain number of purchases.

Even my local Car Wash provides a “wow factor” by providing a free “tyre black service” with every $10 automatic car wash. (A couple of staff simply paint the outside of your tyres black after you come out of the car wash.)

You might say that this only a small added-value giveaway, but I can assure you, it works! Whether it is a hairdresser giving a free tasty cappuccino or glass of chardonnay, or the butcher throwing in a free dozen snags when you spend $15 or more, such “wow factors” help distinguish you from the crowd.

It doesn’t matter what size your business is. I believe that there is a “wow factor” just around the corner if you look a little harder. And I guess that’s where my role comes in from time to time. Through some friendly interrogation, I usually am able to help most businesses flush out the all-important “wow factor” that can make their products or services stand out from the rest. (Providing of course, their communication tactics are also appropriately “wow factored”.)

5. Have you seen “Wow Factors” go wrong?

Yes, but only when there are sneaky or ridiculous “catches” attached to certain offers. For example, you may recall that a number of years back, some companies were offering free overseas flights as a bonus for consumers purchasing certain furniture or whitegoods at various retail outlets.

On the surface, consumers saw this as being a fabulous free gift. However, when one looked closely at the giveaway, the “free flights” were conditional upon spending a minium amount of time at specific hotels. And at pretty much full rack-rate!

The accommodation condition was effectively subsidising the cost of the airfares and therefore, by the time one paid for the 8 nights accommodation at full rate, the so-called “free flights” weren’t so free! The scheme therefore stumbled as a result of bad publicity and did more harm than good for the retailers who got involved.

The golden rule for any “wow factor” is that it must have integrity and offer true value to the customer. It must be transparent and it should not have any tricks attached to it.

6. Could a “Wow Factor” be a Contest or Sweepstakes?

Yes, sweepstakes and competitions can certainly have a powerful effect on trade for any business, but only it the promotional concept is appropriately designed for the set objective. In other words, if a scratch ticket promotion is being used as a promotional vehicle to stimulate repetitive trade, it needs to appropriately designed to do so.

As you can see elsewhere on this website, I personally have had considerable experience in designing such promotional formats and I can assure you, there can be a huge difference between one scratch ticket promotion and others.

Similarly, if you are selling Mercedes Benz motor vehicles and you are designing a competition, the concept has to be appropriately targeted at the relevant prestige demographic.

And with all contests, the consumers must feel “that they have a chance of winning”. Time and time again, I see contests designed which had none of these important ingredients and offer consumers a very low perception of being actually able to win something.

With 20 years’ experience in contests and sales promotions, I personally provide my clients with strong advice in this arena, ensuring that any sales promotional competitions contain the magic ingredients.