Love this video -- I remember watching him on Star Trek and just loving the fight scenes.
Many companies got their start in the late 1990s as instant online hits. However, when the dot com bubble burst in the early 2000s, many online companies took a significant hit, some getting wiped out entirely. One important exception is Priceline.
Priceline is an online travel booking site that was established in 1997. The company not only survived the bubble, but continues to flourish, even with stiff competition from rival sites such as Travelocity and Orbitz. In difficult economic times, Priceline has held its own, even ranking at the top of Bloomberg’s Businessweek 50 this year.
To maintain this success, Priceline has not only been competitive with its services, but smart in its advertising. Back in 1997, the start-up company hired William Shatner to be its spokesman, a relationship that has remained profitable for both parties. Over the years, Shatner has served as Priceline’s campy Priceline Negotiator, working on behalf of clients to help ensure the best travel deals possible.
The ads are funny and memorable, while also giving potential customers a good look at what Priceline can do for them.
The success of Priceline ads can be summed up in the following advertising lessons.
1. The right image: Finding the right spokesperson can be challenging, but it can make all the difference. A spokesperson helps define a company, essentially becoming the face that customers associate with a company. Priceline has utilized Shatner so well that he is more commonly associated with Priceline than his iconic role as Captain Kirk. Even if your company can’t afford a William Shatner, you can still structure your advertising to project the right image.
2. If something isn’t broke, don’t fix it. While it is important to keep advertising fresh, companies should not change ad campaigns on a whim. If a marketing tool is working, it is important to stick with it. Sometimes tweaking a campaign can yield better results than starting over. Priceline first hired Shatner in 1997, and has refined its ads with Shatner over the years. Always be reflective in your marketing. When you try something out, be diligent to gauge the response. When something seems to have a positive result, keep using it.
3. People remember laughter. Good marketing is informative and honest, but successful marketing is also memorable. It should appeal to the emotions, and making people laugh is one of the best ways to accomplish that. Therefore, remember to not always take your marketing too seriously. Humor can definitely help sell your product.
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
brings back a lot of memories from when I was younger. Never thought I would be learning how to do fight scenes from him when I was younger and marketing lessons when I am older.
Get 3 points to remember in my marketing.
Thanks
Rob, I remember my brother trying the fight moves on me when I was younger.
I think these commercials were a genius idea – they obviously work since they have been around for a long time.
Fred, you always have a way of turning everything around you into a lesson we can all learn from.
perfect timing fred, I am walking into my company meeting in a few hours and the topic of discussion is how to make our marketing unique. Make it stand out and have some fun with it.
I will use this post as an entry into the meeting to let the group know it is okay to stretch you imagination.
This is proof that you are your brand.
William Shatner just plays himself in every roll and he has the guts to make fun of himself too!
I enjoyed him on Star Trek reruns, and even my daughter enjoyed watching him on Boston Legal!
And lets face it (in the words of William Shatner) … sometimes it’s nice to be naughty.
Thanks Fred.
Mike, you hit the nail on the head – be yourself and be willing to make fun of yourself. that is being authentic.
Yes, always good to be naughty at times. ha ha
p.s. – I still do the old fight moves I learned from star trek.
Fred, thanks for the reminder for #3 – we need to engage with our people. Make them laugh, make them feel good.
We are in the middle of trying to create a physical brand people can recognize. We cannot afford a celebrity – but your post gave me some great ideas towards the principle of what needs to be done.
We have a marketing campaign that has been working really well for us. We started it 3 years ago and now people in the office keep saying its time to do something different.
When is a good time to move on to something bigger and better?
Jeannette, before you trash the old campaign you need to know why you want to create a new one. is it just for having a new one or are you looking for different results?
I love that Wm.Shatner has reinvented himself over & over.. It could have totally gone in the other direction a few yrs ago.
:O)
You are right – that was a risk he took. A great lesson for us all. Have the courage to follow your heart.
Right image and laughter – bingo.
How do I determine if something is broken or not. Where is the line between fixing and developing?
Mads
Test test test everything you do. If you are not aware of what is working and what is just existing you have no starting point at all.
Things that give you results keep refining and see if you can increase your results.
Things that are not giving you results and are taking up your resources, fix it or ditch it.
Exciting or working.
Hmmmm – that made me realize that I have in the past probably been way to focused on what I found exciting rather than what proved to work… Nice. Now I have something to spend my sunday thinking about.
Mads, just because it is exciting, new, busy, fancy looking, does not mean it is effective.
Do you want to look cool or do you want to run an efficient business.
Running an efficient business also means you take the time to spend your Sunday with your son and wife.
Hey – great Sunday with my son, “wife” and two stepdaughters.
Didnt stop me from thinking though.
Sundays are good for family!