Average Jane Is Tempted To Buy Something

Over the last few weeks, I've watched a really effective use of Facebook marketing play out on the Crazy Aaron's Puttyworld page.

It started with a little teaser post:

Not long afterward, it progressed to this:

They kept the interest going:

And finally they put out a call for suggestions as to what to name the new product and wisely tied it to a push to gain more fans.

Over the next week or so, there was hot debate over the name, which ended up narrowed down to a four or five selection poll. A vocal faction wanted to call it "Cloud Poop," but the eventual winner was "Liquid Glass."

They reported as they made their way through various production tests and worked out a packaging design. Finally, the big announcement came that it was available for sale.

However, it was a limited production run, so they were able to build on the excitement they'd generated and come close to selling out pretty much right away:

All in all, it was one of the most fun fan engagement initiatives I've seen on Facebook. Best of all, it was completely carried out on the wall and the company website, so there was minimal cost involved.

Did I buy some? Well, no. I already have an ample supply of other colors of Thinking Putty and if I were to buy an additional variety it would probably be Strange Attractor (which I have previously purchased as a gift for my cousin). However, it's clear (no pun intended) that lots of other people stepped up and bought some.

Obviously not every product is as outwardly fun as Thinking Putty, but companies would do well to follow their example when it comes to sharing the new product development process to generate anticipation.