Who is the greatest event promoter of all time? Many American marketing experts would quickly say, Phineas Taylor Barnum.
P.T. Barnum was a self-described “Showman by Profession.” who lived from April 5th, 1810, to April 7th, 1891. Highest among many of his promotional successes was the world-famous Barnum & Bailey Circus, which he called the “Greatest Show On Earth.”
Over a century later, there are many tips that P.T. Barnum can give you for promoting your next Corvette car show.
Rings of Power
These nuggets of marketing gold are adapted from the book titled, “There’s a Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum’s Amazing 10 “Rings of Power” for Creating Fame, Fortune, and a Business Empire Today — Guaranteed! by Joe Vitale. The author has distilled the promotional strategies of Barnum down to ten lessons he calls ‘Rings of Power.’
We’re going to show you how you can adapt these proven strategies in a way that will open your eyes and stretch your imagination for your next Corvette car show. By applying the timeless lessons from a consummate showman like P.T. Barnum, you will achieve greater future success.
#1 – “He believed there was a customer born every minute.”
When reading about P.T., you quickly realize he believed that everyone had the potential to be his client. Modern historians have shown that he never said or wrote the quote that is routinely identified with him, “There is a sucker born every minute.” He believed the entire world was his client base.
The Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to cast a more extensive, non-traditional net for your car show marketing. Don’t just try to market to other Vette aficionados. Let your mind expand to other possibilities.
#2 – “He believed in using skyrockets.”
People of that era described Barnum as a master of public relations. Barnum would continually push the limits to get huge public and media attention. Pushing the limit often involved publicity stunts in his day.
Ultimately, the public attention trickled down to the masses and created a fantastic buzz for his event.
The Takeaway: Is there something you can do to stand out from the crowd? With every business, media outlet, and social media platform trying to capture consumer attention, you need to be different. You need to rise above the marketing din. Try to be passively unique. Think of what will help you move to your audience’s center of attention.
Keep in mind you are not just competing with other car shows; you’re competing with all the other activities vying for people’s attention that day. The concept of producing a series of engaging videos to pique interest in your upcoming event comes quickly to mind here.
#3 – “He believed in giving people more than their money’s worth.”
Barnum traveled to the far ends of the planet to find what fascinated people. He would bring unique entertainment and awe-inspiring artifacts to his audience. His focus was always on his customers, regardless of what he thought was interesting. He was continuously concerned with the value-proposition of those who attended.
The Takeaway: Are you honestly giving your attendees what they want and not what you think they want? Trust me. There is a vast difference. Far too many car shows are put on ultimately for the benefit of the club members. Sadly, little thought is given to the desires of those who attend.
Case in point? A club hosts an event and allows its own club members to take home the lion’s share of the trophies.
#4 – He fearlessly believed in the power of “printer’s ink.”
P.T. Barnum instinctively knew how to get the most out of the media. He continually provided exciting and unique stories to the media in a way that few others had done before. Newspapers and magazines developed into Barnum’s prized resource throughout his long career.
The Takeaway: Today, there are more avenues to tell your story than ever before. The bottom line is the same today as it was in Barnum’s day. Do you have a story that resonates with your audience? Why should they care about your car show?
The days are long gone when you could say you’re having a Corvette car show, and people would flock to the event. You have to be able to convincingly answer the “What’s In It For Me?” question for the client before they attend today.
#5 – “He believed in persistent advertising.”
Some say that Barnum never stopped advertising. From his way of thinking, you could never have too many people excited about your event. Even when traditional print was exhausted, he always created new and innovative ways to continue to promote his message. He never relied solely on a single source to get the word out.
The Takeaway: You have to be relentless in spreading the good news about your car show. Paid, free, word of mouth, social, guerilla marketing, and several others all have a place in your advertising arsenal. Never limit the show’s message to just a few avenues of distribution.
#6 – “He believed in people helping people to get results.”
As a consummate promoter, Barnum’s gift was being able to get the most out of personal and business networks. His amicable personality and established trust made it easy for people to help him.
He used his contacts and connections to get him privileged access that others could not obtain. This skill set aided him in routinely furthering his business over his career.
The Takeaway: Many times in life, it’s not about what you know, but it’s about who you know. We think in this information age that human connections are less meaningful. The opposite is true. The only currency of real value is your reputation and that of your club.
Use the networking power of homegrown email lists and strategic partnerships you’ve developed with others over the years to grow your event. If you have a history of helping others promote, they routinely will reciprocate when your event comes around.
#7 – “He believed in negotiating creatively, treating employees and performers with respect.”
Barnum was a highly skilled negotiator. He would always look at the possibilities a situation offered and attempt to capitalize. Those around him revered him because of his consistently high standards.
He treated his employees and business associates with the highest respect, thus earning their long-term admiration and commitment.
The Takeaway: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Be consistent with your event’s core standards.
#8 – “He believed all was well.”
P.T. lost personal property, his fortune, and his family. Regardless of individual circumstances, Barnum always found a way to forge ahead. He never let his current condition dictate his future. Surprisingly, through all of his accomplishments, he stayed humble and grounded. Never did he let his success and notoriety go to his head.
The Takeaway: Your car show event isn’t going to be perfect. Look at setbacks and failures as a data point. Each attempt at success is a new opportunity to learn something and make improvements.
You might make several mistakes along the way, but that is part of the journey. Don’t be so obsessed with the notion of complete success that you are afraid to fail. Ultimately, we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes.
#9 – “He believed in the power of the written word.”
Barnum was a gifted writer. Often, he used his wordsmith skills with considerable effect on the general public and with public officials. Throughout his life, he was dedicated to his writing because he saw the tremendous influence it had on the success of his promotions.
The Takeaway: Diligently structure your press release, event landing page, and other applications to convey your message. Your written word compels the reader to take action. Often, event organizers pay little attention to the copy they distribute, and thus, their audience pays little attention to them.
#10 – “He believed in the power of public speaking.”
Effective public speaking was almost second nature to Barnum. He was an impressive orator who knew that the spoken word could move mountains. He used his speaking abilities to further public causes, cultural learning, and, of course, his business.
The Takeaway: Public speaking is one of the top fears of most people, often ranked right behind death. If you aren’t comfortable speaking in public, utilize a blog.
Blogs allow you to get your message out to the masses from almost anywhere. If you are fortunate to have someone in your club who is comfortable speaking in public, then, by all means, utilize their skill set.
The Power Of P.T. Barnum Is Now In Your Hands
Barnum once wrote, “The noblest art is that of making others happy.” If we remember nothing else of the most renowned event promoters of all time, we should consider the needs of our attendees first. Write that down and refer to it often as you develop the marketing strategies for your next Corvette car show.
Give the people attending your event what they want, and they will reward you by coming back year after year. As Joe Vitale wrote in his book about P.T. Barnum, the 10 “Rings of Power” are powerful advertising lessons all of us can use to ensure event success.
For additional ideas for your next event, we recommend our other articles, such as “Top 40 Corvette Car Show Marketing Ideas” and “5 Ways To Increase Corvette Show Revenue.”
Articles We Recommend:
P.T. Barnum Tips For Your Corvette Event
5 Ways To Increase Car Show Revenue
Top 40 Corvette Car Show Marketing Ideas