Lighten Up Marketing #3: Babe Ruth as Marketing Tool

The plan was for the friends to meet at Muldoon's for a quick beer, then head across the street to the bright new sports bar where they'd watch the play-off game on the big-screen TVs. It was almost game time, and the friends debated whether to have one more round at the friendly pub with two old TVs over the bar, or to go get a better table at the 29-screen surround sound multiplex entertainment establishment as they had planned.

"Can I get you boys another round?" said Muldoon.

"We're deciding..." said the one.

"You know what Babe Ruth said about beer?" asked Muldoon, pointing at the autographed picture over the register. He didn't wait for an answer: "Babe Ruth said 'Sometimes I reflect on all the beer I drink and I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. So I think, ‘It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.’”
"Can I get you another round, then boys?" said Muldoon, adding gravely: "For the workers..."

The boys stayed for that round and,indeed the entire game, which had already started by the time Muldoon's elocution was finished.

The sports bar changed ownership over and over through the years (giving lots of people a chance to experience ownership of a flashy, high-profile debt machine), but Muldoon's remained steady and profitable despite maintaining lower prices.

Why? Because Muldoon understood what business he was really in, and why the friends had stopped there in the first place.

Because Muldoon understood, implicitly, the power of Lighten Up! Marketing.

Relentless marketer Sean Kelly is a 20 year veteran of the franchise industry, and founder of the award-winning marketing firm IdeaFarm. In 2006, he founded the FranBest franchise networkbest franchise opportunities, the top new franchises, franchise marketing, franchise public relations and small business marketing. Contact him at seankelly[at]ideafarm.net.

More Lighten Up! Marketing Classics:

Lighten Up Marketing #1:  Starbuck's Mobile Marketing

Lighten Up Marketing #2: One For The Road

Lighten Up Marketing #3: Babe Ruth as Marketing Tool

Lighten Up Marketing #4: Be a Smartie

Lighten Up Marketing #5: Chipotle's Boo-Ritos