Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a surprise encounter when they bumped into Jay Z and Beyoncé at a basketball game at the Barclays Center during their visit to the US. They met the pop couple during the third and fourth quarters of the NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It attracted a great deal of attention from the crowd, particularly the media who surrounded the couples to capture the significant moment. While it came as no surprise to anyone to see the celebrity musicians in attendance considering their long-standing support of the Brooklyn Nets, it was the first NBA game for the British royal couple. They happened to be there to mark an important partnership between the National Basketball Association and the Royal Foundation, established by them and Prince Harry in 2009 to aid their philanthropic activities.
I believe this unexpected meeting between these two powerful couples perfectly illustrates the importance to everyone of always being prepared for the unexpected. This is particularly true for the business world as very often informal social arrangements can lead to impromptu networking. In such a competitive market, it is essential for companies to recognize that the necessary task of marketing their products or services to a large audience cannot effectively be done while sitting at a computer in an office during business hours. Long gone are the days when solely advertising at business fairs or web summits would enough to boost sales. In today’s fast-paced world, consumers are bombarded with information about products on a daily basis and they simply do not have the time to consider whether or not these products would actually satisfy their specific needs. They need a businessperson to take the time to explain to them why they should buy from you instead of your competitors. Certain businesses, particularly non-governmental organizations, have long used the method of door-to-door direct selling and have proven that it is the most efficient way of gaining new customers.
It is evident that marketing is now becoming more and more informal with many businesses relying on social activities outside of work to maximize their clientele. It is quite common for companies to make a special effort to attend popular social outlets such as sporting events or beauty contests in order to network. They understand that they could come across a potential customer at any event, even at an impromptu dinner or drinks after work. Therefore, they are always prepared with business cards or leaflets explaining their products with links to their facebook or twitter accounts to obtain further information. My advice to anyone reading this who is holed up in an office working on a marketing campaign is to consider the possibilities of also investing some time and energy in face-to-face direct marketing. I assure you that you will soon reap the benefits from this personal approach
