In the ad business, few problems are so intractable that they can't be solved by a Porsche Boxster.
Not happy with the amount of face time it was getting with prospective clients, Maya Marketing, a 3-year-old agency in Stamford, Conn., devised a novel promotional campaign for itself. The incentive? A new Porsche Boxster S, worth about $70,000. On Jan. 24, Maya sent out 800 direct mail pieces to high-level executives and decision makers in the event marketing and promotion departments of Fortune 1000 companies, as well as to large ad agencies. When a company calls to make an appointment with Maya, it is, as they say, automatically entered to win the sports car. "What we do is ask the prospective client to invite us in," said Maya's president and CEO, Richard Greene, who noted that the agency executives visit the client, so there is no expenditure involved for the company. "They give us a half an hour of their time to splash on the wall a capabilities and credentials presentation."
The promotion will end on Dec. 12, and the drawing will be held on Dec. 15. The promotional agency worked with the National Sweepstakes Co. and New Country Porsche in Greenwich, Conn., to develop the rules and manage the process. Greene says he's already gotten some positive responses, with one executive asking, "Who would pass up a Porsche?"