The Power Of Controversy Marketing, Part II

Disagreeing With An Expert.

If there’s one thing that will get people to open up their eyes and ears is when you disagree with someone who is seen as a noted expert in their field. Just the other day I was reading an email that was promoting an internet marketing product. The email claimed that a specific internet marketing guru was wrong when he said that making money with Google’s adsense program was “dead.”

That sparked a controversy that got a lot of people talking about this new product. Here are some experts in our society that many people respect and whose ideas and beliefs are held to be true.

1. Dr. Phil (relationship expert)

2. Donald Trump (real estate expert)

3. Warren Buffet (investing expert)

4. Dr. Stephen Hawkings (science expert)

5. Roger Ebert (movie expert)

6. Jack Trout (marketing expert)

7. Dr. Spock (baby expert)

8. Jack Welch (business expert)

9. Dr. Atkins (dieting expert)

10. Alan Greenspan (economic expert)

Imagine reading a headline that says…

“Why the ‘Warren Buffet Method of Investing’

Is Wrong for the Average American Investor”

In the investing community, that headline would get a lot of attention and, depending on the contents of the article, start a whirlwind of controversy. Here’s a brief assignment. Make a list of all the noted authorities in your industry. Next, for every noted expert, list a few things that they preach as gospel. Lastly, write a few headlines for each expert’s belief. Before you know it, you’ll get a flood of ideas that will spark controversy and get you lots of attention.

David Frey, www.MarketingBestPractices.com

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