Wait Marketing and Contextual Advertising

Shoe shine guys have also been touched by the crisis. The number of clients at Grand Central terminal in New York decreased from 700 to 600 per day.
But the Shoe shine guys are top marketers - their motto "You can't make no deals with dirty heels" is awesome! - and they decided to overcome the crisis using Wait Marketing.

They started proposing their services in Exhibitions Centers and during B2B fairs (see the picture below at Sensors Expo in Chicago).
This new strategy is extremely successful for two reasons:
1. all the visitors of the exhibition are in the Shoe Shine Guys' target
2. all the visitors are walking around waiting for a mini-conference or appointment, with no place to sit

If you also used Wait Marketing to develop your business in spite of the crisis, let us know!!

Here are some more Shoe Shine Guys nuggets of wisdom:

1. " They won't buy no stuff if yo shoes is lookin' rough"
2. "Your shoes need to shine if you hope to make a dime"
3. "I you want to make a buck , you better let me clean em up"
4. "Clean kicks get dirty chicks"
5. "I'll get em so bright they'll have to turn down the lights"


Prof. Diana Derval, MBA
Author of the book Wait Marketing
President, Research Director of DervalResearch



Sources:
http://www.wallstreetfighter.com/2008/03/8-tips-in-life-from-shoe-shine-guy-at.html
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/11/even-shoeshine-business-is-off-in-new.html