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Many marketers looking to launch their companies onto the “radar” of customers adore the idea of setting a world record in…anything. But here’s the story of an executive who actually did, and how it worked out for his business.
Dave Farrow, a PR professional and entrepreneur, runs a boutique PR agency in upstate New York. Among his other ventures he owns a company that specializes in memory management. That company has an interesting genesis. Farrow developed his product to address his own severe battle with ADHD. He had refused to address his challenge with medication and chose to work with his tendencies instead. He mastered his focus and memory challenges and formulated his strategy into a product, The Farrow Memory Program. To promote the program Farrow set a Guinness World Record for memory twice, memorizing the exact order of 52 decks of cards to set his first record in 1996, and then broke the record again in 2007 by memorizing 59 decks of cards in one sighting—a total of 3,068 cards.
The secret is to make your own company "memorable" says memory expert Dave Farrow (Image courtesy of... [+]
In 2008 he used his memory in a PR campaign for
Sounds like a great route to global attention, yes? Jamie Antoniou, B2B Product Managing leader for Guinness World Records, as interviewed by MaccaPR, can tell you about the record-breaking attempts of numerous companies including the mother of all record setting events enacted on October 14, 2012 for
Other world records set for marketing purposes include the following:
- Tang (largest donation of toys in 24 hours),
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Coca-Cola (longest drink pouring relay) - Virgin Mobile (most people crammed into a Mini Cooper),
- POM Wonderful juice (longest airborne inflatable beach ball relay)
- Nissan (largest indoor illuminated advertising billboard)
- Priceline Pharmacy (world’s longest chain of selfies)
- Italy’s Piazzagrande (world’s largest tiramisu)
- Domino’s (most pizzas – 7,539 pies – made in 24 hours)
- British Airways (highest performance of the Harlem Shake)
- Weetabix Breakfast Drinks (world’s fastest milk float)
- De’Longhi (largest cup of coffee)
- Smirnoff vodka (largest anamorphic painting)
- Big League Chew (most people – 721 of them – blowing a bubble gum bubble simultaneously)
Record setting is open to everyone. In Salt Lake City, for example, Salt Lake Comic Con (disclosure: they have been a client of my agency in the past, but we are not involved in this event) is currently aiming to break a record for the world’s largest gathering of people dressed up as comic book characters this month. (Apparently 1,530 is the number to beat.)
Was it worth it? Here’s what Farrow said: “Going for the Guinness Record was one of the smartest things I ever did. But not because it immediately starts a business--it doesn't. There are a number of Guinness Record holders who are flipping burgers. It does not guarantee you will be rich overnight. What my Guinness Record did do was connect my name to something much larger than me. It gave me credibility the same way someone can walk into a room and say 'I'm a Harvard grad,' I can walk into a room and say 'I'm a Guinness World Record holder.'" It is important to note that a Guinness Record is not the only way to achieve this. There are other ways as well, such as charity work, or to become a YouTube video star. But for Farrow, the Guinness Record was an ideal fit.
"In my company I try to find something equivalent to that achievement for every client, that can make them unique or connect them to an organization or credential that is much bigger than them," Farrow adds. "In a way, PR is like a Guinness Record. It is doing something that links your name to something that is much bigger (like doing an interview on a pervasive news story or them on a radio show or on a major news station.)"
I note that in Farrow’s case he often does a visual pun on the word “Pharoah” (which equates to great knowledge and brilliance as part of his marketing around his memory program.) So in photos and keynote speeches he’s often pictured wearing a Pharoah headdress, and running an “Ask the Pharoah” routine. (He’s even done this on television, as he did, for example, when he appeared on Dr. Oz).
Farrow performed a "pharoah" routine for Dr. Oz (Image courtesy of FarrowPR.com)
As to Farrow’s additional wisdom on the ways entrepreneurs can best achieve great PR, he had the following wisdom to share:
Cheryl Connor: What are the greatest PR feats you’ve accomplished that might pose some ideas entrepreneurs could try and could be successful with?
Dave Farrow: The greatest PR feat I've personally accomplished is selling more than $170k product in a single radio interview and $250k in a single TV spot,” Farrow says. “Interviewing is an art. It is about story telling. Entrepreneurs often think they will get the most outcome from being interviewed on huge shows. This is not always true. It's about how you tell your story. For example, a memory competitor of mine (also a personal friend) went on the Martha Stewart Show at the exact same time I went on Regis and Kelly. These shows have exactly same viewership. I did $28k in sales and he did $350 in sales. He sent me an email afterwards saying 'I'm going back to speaking. Sales is not for me. How did you do this?’ The lesson to take away: It matter's how you tell your story. Live interview skills are an art.
Connor: Do you think entrepreneurs can succeed without an agency?
Farrow: There is a huge learning curve in doing your own PR. I learned from a series of mentors that did it before. They weren't an agency but these people are experts in PR and they took me under their wing. Unless you work with someone who is on the inside and who has done it before, you have very little chance of figuring it out through trial and error in one lifetime. Actually, I would consider it impossible to 'accidentally' figure out PR. It has to be something that you learn from someone who has done it. Nothing that can replace that experience.
Connor: What about setting a world record? Worth it? If you had it to do again would you do your own PR differently in any way (relative to the award)?
Farrow: I definitely made mistakes with my own PR. I read every self-publicity, marketing and PR book I could get my hands on. But some things I did right. (Part of it is the nature of my niche. I was able to make my name and my brand memorable.) I stumbled my way through, as anyone would the first time around. If I could go back and do things differently I definitely would. But I can be satisfied now in doing my very best for my clients.
Do you have additional questions for Dave? If so, feel free to “ask the Pharoah” via the comment section below.
Cheryl Snapp Conner is author of the Forbes eBook Beyond PR: Communicate Like a Champ In The Digital World. Do you have a great entrepreneurial PR story that others could learn from? If you do, reach out to Cheryl Conner via Forbes with your thoughts.
