The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid Will It Blend viral video star Tom Dickson has turned an everyday product into a global YouTube sensation | #388
Get ready for an extreme viral video case study! Tom Dickson is an engineer who founded BlendTec, a US-based company manufacturing top quality kitchen blenders. He's also the star of the viral video series Will It Blend, in which he used extreme product demonstration to sell his wares. And when I say extreme, I mean EXTREME!
I’m ADHD and I’m dyslexic. I can hardly read and I’ve got a goofy mind. And it’s an absolute blessing, because I see things and solutions like no one else in the world sees them! Just looking at a problem … I have this vision that enables me to look way outside the box.” - Tom Dickson, BlendTec
There’s loads more tips and insights just like this that will help you build that beautiful business of yours into the empire it deserves to be. Hit the PLAY button or subscribe free to hear the full interview. You’ll also find the full interview transcription below.
If you have questions about marketing an everyday product or service then you’ll get the answers in this interview:
- How do I make my product interesting?
- How do I think more creatively?
- How do I create a viral video?
- Why should I respect marketing?
- How did Will It Blend viral videos come about?
- What if I have a learning disorder? Will that stop me?
Tom Dickson is the founder, CEO and boss of blender manufacturing business, BlendTec. He is also the frontman of the hugely popular viral video series called Will It Blend. He’s appeared on numerous national TV talk shows including NBC’s Today Show and Jay Leno’s show. He’s a grandfather to 35 kids, and is an Engineer by trade.
Here’s what caught my attention from my chat with Will It Blend star Tom Dickson:
- There’s no such thing as a boring product or service. All too often, I hear business owners whinging that it’s hard to market what they sell because it’s boring. Accountants, are you listening?! If that’s you, then spend some quality time brainstorming with your team about how to inject some excitement into your business.
- I love the idea of having a desk with glass on top where Tom’s engineers scrawl ideas and build on each other’s thinking. I use a whiteboard for this exact thing, and couldn’t live without it.
- Doing something extreme or out-of-the-box will get you noticed, and create what I call a hook for you to build your brand from. As Tom quoted, his Will It Blend videos were ranked by Ad Age as the #1 viral marketing videos in the world, plus BlendTec is a case study in 38 business books around the world.
But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover:
- I’ll show you how to get your first 153 email subscribers.
- And we go back into the vault, revisiting a chat I had with a woman who’s built a very successful retail business thanks to big boobs!
Other resources mentioned:
- The Top 10 Will It Blend videos of all time
- Will It Blend on Wikipedia
- Interview with Brava Woman’s Maxine Windram
- Interviews I’ve done with other viral video creators:
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May your marketing be the best marketing.
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