The Marketing Lessons We Could Learn From Elvis Presley's Manager

Marketing is a tricky beast, but if you're a creative professional then you can't afford to miss a trick... sometimes literally! That's why it pays to study some of history's great successful campaigns, and to take notes on them.

I was reflecting on one of those earlier, and I thought I'd share it for those folks who don't know about it. If you're not familiar with the ins and outs of the life and times of Elvis Presley, the example started with these handy little buttons.

Full honesty, I might have bought one of these, myself.

What These Little Buttons Can Teach Us

If you like music, chances are good you know who Elvis Presley was. Still referred to as the King of Rock and Roll by a lot of folks, his music remains popular, and going to see his home is like a pilgrimage for some of his fans. While he was a landmark in chart toppers and record sales, it was important to remember that not everyone was an Elvis fan. In fact, a lot of people back then actively disliked his music, and they were pretty vocal about that fact.

Some things never change, I guess.

Of course, just because someone hated Elvis, that was no reason he couldn't make money off of them. Or, at least, that was his manager's reasoning according to Boing Boing.

We got what they want, baby!

You see, back in the 1950s, Elvis's manager started printing buttons and other merch which declared that the purchaser hated Elvis and his music. Making these buttons was easy, of course, because they were already producing the "I Love Elvis" variety, so all they had to do was change the text for a different crowd. This was the marketing equivalent of selling guns to both sides of the conflict, which meant that whatever your opinion was all of your money went straight into the King's coffers one way or another.

Something For Everyone

While most of us aren't famous enough that we can make money off our haters with such a brilliant strategy (I mean, have you ever read and reviewed anything off my Amazon author page?), the core principle on display is sound. In short, ask what people who aren't buying what you're selling want, and offer them that, too.

You don't have to be as extreme as the anti-Elvis buttons to put this strategy to use, either. If you have an ebook you're trying to sell, for example, how many people have said they only read physical copies? If you have a physical book, how many people have told you they prefer ebooks? If you have tee shirts that tie in, how many people ask for those designs on buttons and pins instead?

Pay attention to what people will actually buy. Because while they might not say, "I'd buy that if only it was in X format," being able to read between the lines (and make some small leaps in logic) can do a lot to make sure that you clean up at the end of the day.

Just something to keep in mind, since we're in the midst of the holiday crunch, and all of us are putting together new plans for our marketing in 2020.

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That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife!

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