Steve
Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter)
…an Absolutely Brilliant Marketer!
By
Eric Graham
 Click
Here to Downlod the PDF Version.
 My
daughters and I loved watching The Crocodile Hunter. Steve's Passion
and enthusiasm for wildlife conservation were unmatched. But in addition
to being a masterful entertainer and educator. Steve Irwin was also
a brilliant marketer.
Instinctively he knew that
to spread his message of conservation, he needed to first grab his audience
by the eyeballs and get their attention.
A skilled
showman and communicator, he could make the most mundane animals appear
deadly and interesting. Captivating his audience by building suspense
and tension that kept them riveted to his message.
With his hyper-animated presentation,
colorful language (he introduced the world to his very Aussie catch
phrase "Crikey") and unwaveringly khaki wardrobe he created
a consistent and memorable personal brand. He was his own, walking talking
USP (unique selling proposition.)
While many wanabes and knock-offs
tried to copy his adventurous style and antics none of them ever came
close to matching his level of success. He was truly one of a kind.
The Crocodile Hunter was
also a master at generating publicity and working the media. Probably
the greatest ambassador to the world Australia has ever had. Steve Irwin
regularly made the rounds on every major television show imaginable,
from small local news stations to Letterman, Leno, Larry King and Oprah.
He was a walking, talking news hook. A publicists dream!
Even when his actions stirred
up controversy (who can forget the image of him feeding a croc with
his newborn baby in his arms...) his ratings and popularity only improved.
And if viral marketing is
your thing, Steve was one of greats! The viral buzz his TV antics created
around water coolers world wide was simply astounding. His exploits
spread via word of mouth like wildfire as folks energetically recreated,
described and relived the "close calls" Steve had on the previous
nights show.
In fact in a recent blog
post (http://www.michelfortin.com/archives/2006/09/all_your_base_are_belong_to_us/)
Michel
Fortin identified three essential response-boosting ingredients
for effective viral marketing. Curiosity, scarcity and controversy.
(Steve was an absolute master of all three.)
• Curiosity?
What's more "curious" than a man kissing a 14 foot crocodile
on the head and saying, "isn't she a beauty"?
• Scarcity?
There was (and will always be) just one "Crocodile Hunter".
• Controversy?
Steve certainly had a knack for stirring up and leaving controversy
in his larger-than-life wake.
And boy could he work the
backend! His spinnoff products are almost countless...
From toys and games to books
and movies, Steve Irwin exploited the "Crocidile Hunter" brand
to the fullest. He almost single handedly built the entire "Animal
Planet" network on his coattails.
His face, logo and even his
catch phrase "Crikey" found their way onto every imaginable
product from lunch boxes to clothing lines.
And the amazing part is...
he funneled the vast majority of the profit windfall his Croc Hunter
brand generated into his beloved Australia Zoo and into other wildlife
conservation based programs.
But in spite of the many
powerful marketing lessons that can be learned by studying the life
of Steve Irwin, I think the most important lesson we can learn from
him is about PASSION.
This was the true secret
to Steve Irwin's success. I've rarely seen anyone with more raw passion
and enthusiasm for his mission in life.
His passion for life, his
family, and the wildlife he spent (and gave) his life educating the
world about, was evident in everything he did.
And... What Steve can teach
us about passion is not just a lesson to apply to your marketing, but
one to apply to your own life.
Live with passion.
Live with passion for what
you do and communicate that passion to others. That's the key to real
and lasting success.
If you're not passionate
about what you are currently doing for a living... Find something you
are passionate about, and do it to the fullest.
As Steve has shown
us... Life is short. And the end can come at any moment. But a 44 year
life of passion and adventure is far more rewarding than 100 years of
"quiet desperation".
Steve Irwin lived his life
to the fullest. He spent his days doing exactly what he loved and he
transferred that love and passion to millions of others.
Rest in peace Steve. You'll
be sorely missed mate…
About the Author
Eric Graham is known
to an elite group of wildly successful online marketers and business owners
as “The
Conversion Doctor”.
He’s the secret weapon
many “in the know” turn to when they’re having conversion
rate troubles or want to outsource their split testing campaigns to
“the best”.
Eric is the CEO of several
successful online and offline companies. Internationally recognized
as a top authority on eCommerce, Website Conversion & Internet Marketing,
he's an in-demand speaker & consultant.
Eric Graham is the author
of the free 28-page report, “7 Secrets of High Conversion Websites”.
Drop by http://www.conversiondoctor.com/t/croc.htm
for your free copy today.
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