The Missing Shoe Mystery

Ideas are sometimes hard to come by when marketing your small business. In times of creative dryness, it helps to look at things from a different perspective.

“We must constantly look at things in a different way,” Robin Williams’ character, Mr. Keating, tells his students in the classic film Dead Poets Society. He then urges the boys to climb up on his desk to see the classroom from above. Their eyes light up as the classroom does indeed look different from atop the desk. 

This works in copywriting as well. Sometimes you need to figuratively climb up on a desk and look at your business from another angle. With this new perspective, the trigger to remedy a marketing idea block can be surprising.  

And inspiration can literally come out of the blue.

The other day, I saw a lone men’s shoe on the road. The sight immediately sparked fresh thinking.

What if…a small-town bike shop owner arrives at work early one morning to find a single, high-end cycling shoe outside his store.

Opening Scene (Hook): Neil, the owner of Never-a-Doubt Neil’s Bikes, in rural Lake Giacomin, USA, arrives to work on a crisp fall morning to find a single, Shimano Men’s cycling shoe. He thinks to himself, this is one expensive shoe ($450) to lose. A car tire mark and heavy scuffing on the shoe’s toe piques Neil’s curiosity even further.

Intrigue: Neil searches for clues. It’s early and no one else is around. Did it fall off during a ride, or perhaps it was mistakenly left behind? After all, the bench outside his shop is a mainstay for serious cyclists refueling midway through their rides. Neil hoped the cyclist wasn’t injured and began to think of a way to get the shoe back to its owner and resolve the mystery.

Marketing: As a successful business owner, Neil understands the value of targeted marketing. A post on his social media channels could help find the shoe’s owner, but Neil has a better idea.

Twist: Neil grabs a bright yellow cruiser that tourists can rent to cycle around town and secures the lost shoe to its handlebar with a bright red ribbon. He places the bike prominently in the window with a sign that reads: “Missing your high-performance ride? We can help!”

Marketing Takeaway: This unconventional approach targets the right audience – the high-performance cyclists who stop at Neil’s store. By strategically placing the bike and shoe in the window just behind the bench, he increased the chances of catching the eye of his intended customer - the shoe’s owner.

Feeling creatively stuck happens to all marketers. In this story, I let my imagination run a bit wild to have Neil find a clever way to reach his target audience. The missing shoe I spotted inspired me look at things from a different perspective.

There are plenty of ways to reignite your marketing spark. Keep an eye out for “missing shoes” you stumble upon or simply chat with your customers – fresh experiences can spark unexpected connections and ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different writing styles so long as your brand voice remains authentic.

Stay true to time tested copywriting principles like knowing your audience and crafting a clear call to action, and even the smallest inspiration can get you out of a creative rut.