out of the blue

Ahhhh….it’s that time of the year again….snow falling, Christmas music on the radio, women parading down a catwalk in sexy underwear….wait-what?! (For all you men out there, wipe that drool). Yes, we’re not talking about the coming of Christ, but rather the annual sex parade of the Victoria’s Secret models. I gotta hand it to Vicky- she knows how to market her bloomers. In an economy that’s rapidly declining, women and men everywhere are still running to Victoria’s Secrets in groves with hopes of discovering the secret.

This is the genius of advertising and marketing. Taking a product and making it appealing not only to your customer, but also your customer’s partner in good times and bad. Women want to be sexy so they’ll buy the product, and men want their women to be sexy, so they’ll also buy the product. Everyone wants to be and see sexy no matter what the economy. Pure genius. I don’t see any guys in line at the store in the Hanes section, unless they’re buying for Grandma Ruth.

Not only is Victoria’s Secret at a place where their product can literally sell itself, they also get paid to advertise. Take the fashion show that airs tonight. People on Ebay were paying thousands of dollars just to attend this event. Of course, it is a star-studded event and Usher will be performing, but when you stop and think about it- I’m sure Vicky is actually profiting off of this event. Not only are her sales on all these panties and bras going to sky-rocket, but the events coming alongside this event are never-ending. Parties, parties, parties. Charitybuzz.com was selling two tickets to the show and an after-party for an estimated cost of $25,000. It’s jaw-dropping.

So, I guess what we should learn from Vicky seems easy. Take your product and make it appeal to ANYONE no matter age, sex, or whom it truly is intended for. I’d be willing to bet that thousands of men have bras in their closet just because they had to buy something from that catalog-and no, they don’t have girlfriends. Also, if you can figure out a way to get other people to do your advertising for free (or even for a profit), go for it! YouTube is teeming with “sneak peek” videos for the show tonight.

Of course, this is all easier said to done, but with this extreme example of genius marketing, we can really learn a lot. I’m impressed. Girl power! Way to go Vicky! I need to learn your secret….

Oh, and for the curious: I’ll go ahead and play into the free advertising:

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airs tonight 10/9c on CBS.

Happy Viewing.