LAF Note: This post was written by regular contributor Katie Wall.
For those of you who have never seen the FX show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” you should check it out. Basically, the show is about three guys and a girl in their late twenties who own a bar in Philadelphia and are constantly coming up with ridiculous ideas and schemes. The problem is they never take the time to fully think through their plans before they execute.
Even the best ideas and best intentions don’t work out if you don’t have a strategy behind them.
Don’t Paint Your Baby Brown
In the first episode of season 3, the characters decide to raise a baby that they found in a dumpster. Soon after, people start to tell them how adorable their baby is, and they decide to make the baby into a star. When a talent agent tells them that there isn’t any commercial use for a white baby, they try to make the baby look Hispanic by painting it brown. Fail.
While this example is over the top, I think it’s important to remember that you have to let your client shine for what they are. They don’t fit the mainstream commercial market? Find a niche. Use what is unique about your client to set them apart from the rest of the competition.
You Can’t Sell Gasoline Door-to-Door
In Season 4, Mac, Charlie and Dennis decide to buy hundreds of gallons of gas and try and 
turn a profit as the prices continue to increase. When they realize they have way too much gas (cleverly stored in garbage bins) to move down into their basement, they decide that they will take on a new approach and go door-to-door to sell gasoline dressed as rich oil barons. Fail.
While you should always explore new channels for getting your client and their product out there, you also need to know what consumers are looking for and where they turn for information. There’s a reason they run beer commercials during football games. Know the channels that work while looking for new avenues that are a good fit.
Don’t Kidnap a Reporter
After being called “The Worst Bar in Philadelphia” “the gang goes to find the critic who wrote th
e review and try to change his mind. When that plan fails, Charlie ties up the reporter, throws him in the trunk and brings him back to the bar where they force him to re-write the article (while tied to a chair). Fail.
You can’t berate media. Trying to force or beg for coverage is not going to work. You need to build trust and lasting relationships. Just because you can capture a reporter’s attention does not mean that they will write exactly what you tell them to. Always be respectful of relationships you build with media.
Images copyright of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Images found at http://www.3click.tv/; http://images.tvrage.com/; http://static.tvguide.com/.
