Three Billy Goats and a Media Mogul Troll: Permission-Based Marketing Meets the Old Gatekeepers
May 5, 2008
Once upon a time there lived three Billy goat brothers. They were considered forward-thinking marketers and each had developed extensive opt-in email lists.
One sunny day the smallest of the three Billy goats set out to market his wares and started crossing a small wooden bridge. When the small goat was half was across, an ugly troll lept up from under the bridge.
“Who’s that tippy-tapp, tippy-tapping over my bridge?” said the ugly troll.
Now, although this troll was quite ugly he was also a media mogul. He owned a popular television station and several magazines with massive subscriber bases. So he was accustomed to being taken seriously.
“Tis I, the smallest of three brother goats. Please let me cross your bridge, I want to market my wares on the other side.”
“You’d like to cross, would you?” snarled the troll. “Over the bridge there are hundreds and hundreds who will buy your wares. I can give you access to them, but you’ll have to pay.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” said the small Billy goat. He skipped away and sent an email out to his opt-in subscribers. The email had a 30% conversion rate, so he did quite nicely.
Later the same day, the medium-sized Billy goat set out to market his wares and came across the same wooden bridge.
“Who’s that going ratt-a-tatt, ratt-a-tatt over my bridge?” said the troll.
“Tis I, the middle of three brother goats. Let me cross your bridge so I may market my wares on the other side.”
“I see you are larger than the brother I met earlier today, but are you smarter too? He was foolish and did not recognize my power. I can give you access to thousands and thousands over the bridge who will buy your wares. But to cross over, you will have to pay a price.”
“No thanks,” said the medium-sized Billy goat. He hopped away and sent out an email to his opt-in subscribers which returned a 40% conversion rate.
Without new advertisers, the troll began to worry. How would he keep the wife in the lifestyle to which she had grown accustomed, without ad revenue? He had always made a good living as the gatekeeper to the masses he interrupted with ads and commercials as they tried to go about their daily business.
Plus, he liked jumping out from under the bridge and scaring people.
Soon after, the largest and oldest of the three goat brothers began to cross the bridge. The troll leaped up from beneath the bridge and snarled his best and ugliest snarl.
“Who goes tromp-tromp, trompity-tromping over my bridge?” said the troll.
“Tis I, the eldest of three brother goats. I am crossing the bridge to eat daisies in yonder field.”
“But your brothers wanted to sell their wares, don’t you too? For a small price, a mere pittance really, I can give you access to millions and millions who will buy.”
“I am not interested,” said the eldest goat. “Your ads interrupt people and they have learned to ignore you. My customers have given me permission to contact them because they are already interested in my wares.”
“But I can help you reach billions,” said the troll. “I can put your wares in front of more people than you ever dreamed possible.”
“Permission-based marketing methods are replacing the interruption-based model, and old gatekeepers who control access to customers are becoming a thing of the past. You too shall become a thing of the past if you don’t step aside and allow me to cross the bridge.”
But the troll had too much vested in the old methods of marketing, and was a bit of a control freak, so he wouldn’t step aside.
The eldest of the goat brothers applied a head butt to the ugly troll’s belly, knocking the ugly troll into the gully below. The eldest goat then crossed the bridge and enjoyed an afternoon of munching delicious daisies. Later that day, he went home and sent out an email to his opt-in subscribers which returned a 50% conversion rate.
So of course he and his brothers lived happily ever after.
Comments
8 Responses to “Three Billy Goats and a Media Mogul Troll: Permission-Based Marketing Meets the Old Gatekeepers”
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Such a nice fairy tale Terry
I’m only wondering - and what going to happen to small trollets like me, who put ads on their sites? Do you think this business model is extinct, too?
Thanks, Misha
Interruption-based marketing does seem to be losing its effectiveness, and companies who move toward permission-based marketing are having great success. We already know about banner ad blindness, but some banners do okay when the market is very targeted. If this topic interests you, I recommend Seth Godin’s new book “Meatball Sundae”.
LOL….your story is delightful…thumbs up!!
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map’s last blog post..Remove Your 10 Blocks To Creativity
haha nice story sounds so interesitng
What a lovely story but it’s a bit worrying there’s ‘trolls in them there internets’
@Caroline: They just put in a new toll bridge close to where I live. The toll takers are nice, but it still feels like a “troll bridge” simply because I have to pay. Trolls are everywhere!
Evelyn & Jon, Glad you both enjoyed it!
[...] was when the big media moguls served as gatekeepers to the masses. They could charge top dollar for TV ads, magazine inside covers, and newspaper [...]