Beware of Ideas That Include Children & Business Promotion

Murphy’s Law
In Finding Your Niche, I tell the story of what happened when a radio station dreamed up a new idea and gathered a large crowd of spectators, small children and their parents for a Christmas holiday promotion.

But the plan went non-fatally awry.

Suffice to say, the promotion involved Santa, a plane, parachute and the unexpected ocean. Apparently, holidays, children and the promotional element can often take an unexpected turn.

Take the Monster Makeover Halloween show producers staged for the Steve Harvey Show. The idea was not a bad one, but a failure to take into account the ages and possible reaction of the small participants. A different kind of costume would not have caused that reaction.

Note: The following photo inspired this post: I call it What The Heck Were They Thinking? http://www.geekologie.com/2009/06/childhood-fears-recreated-as-p.php

Takeaway lesson: In the two holiday examples, Planners forgot to factor in advance What If…? And adjust that great idea accordingly.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntO1ZHwHWC0]