a single source, nothing corroborates it

Invent the event and appoint yourself its chronicler

Create something your audience wants to follow and make your publication the only place to follow it, and you own the demand as well as the story. A struggling paper invented a three week bicycle race, covered it exclusively and took circulation from twenty five thousand to a hundred and thirty thousand, putting its rival out of business. A smaller version is a recurring ritual customers take part in, which earns more coverage over the years than any single campaign you could buy.

The method

1. 01

   Invent an event your audience will want to follow and make yourself its exclusive chronicler, so you own the demand as well as the story.

2. 02

   A recurring customer-participation ritual generates more press over time than any single campaign you could buy.

What it returned

• 1903

  Over the course of the first race in 1903, L'Auto's circulation climbed from 25,000 readers up to 130,000, and its rival Le Vélo was pushed out of business.

Sources

• The 1903 Tour de FranceHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · The 1903 Tour de France · undated
• Innocent’s Wooly HatsHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · Innocent's Wooly Hats · undated