Stinging Sensation
Last week I talked about the successful but not-so-tasteful positioning of Steven Singer, the retailer in Philadelphia that folks love to hate. Another jewelry retailer in Michigan has attracted media attention not for his advertising but for a rather unusual security system: live scorpions in his display cases. Scott Ward of South Lyon Watch & Jewelry in South Lyon, Michigan was featured on WDIV, his local TV station and online on MSN.com explaining his somewhat high-maintenance system. “I’d think twice before I’d smash the glass and stick my hand in a case with a bunch of outraged scorpions,” Ward says. “It cuts down on the chance of a smash and grab.” Drama like this is bound to get attention and is a good way to get a lot of coverage for a special exhibit. At the Sri Lankan Gem Show in 1991, a 393-carat star sapphire, one of the world’s largest, was displayed in a case containing a king cobra. The snake-enhanced security was covered in the International Herald Tribune as well as national media. And today, it’s even easier to spread the news. This kind of video clip, whether produced by a TV station or done in house and uploaded to You Tube, can be pretty effective viral marketing. Of course, like Steven Singer’s style, it has to be appropriate for your target market. Ward says it has definitely increased his traffic although he hasn’t yet seen a boost in sales.
Nor for the faint of heart, I fear!
who wants to buy an expensive piece of jewelry that a scorpion has stomed all over and crapped on??? gross.
Wow, Great sensation. I like the creation. But it is not affordable.