It’s now my second week here at Sunflower Marketing and I’ve
already learnt an excess of new things, adding to my already diminutive
knowledge of marketing! My head hurts.
For instance, Mike has taught me that he doesn’t take lemon
in his ice water and that he’s got a very short temper – valuable knowledge I
could have only picked up here.
As I’m sure you are already well-aware (having subscribed to mine and Sunflower Marketing’s Facebook and Twitter updates), part of my job responsibilities here include a re-enactment of the One Red Paperclip Project. For those of you who are unfamiliar with said project, I will not elaborate. Google it – you’re not helpless!
I’m kidding of course. You’ll get to know that about me. I’m never serious. Except for right now; I’m 100% serious about never being serious.
The Red Paperclip Project was a viral story about a man who used the barter section of Craigslist to trade a red paperclip (thus the name “One Red Paperclip”) for a house. Beginning with the red paperclip, he offered it for trade and began trading up just a little bit at a time, a paperclip for a wooden fish pen, a wooden fish pen for a doorknob, a doorknob for a Coleman stove, you get the idea… Until in the end he had traded for a house. No, I’m not joking, we already discussed that. Having begun with the one red paperclip and having spent no extra money of his own, he ended with a house. A house!!
Now I’ve started with a Sunflower promotional product, the “Ringy Dingy” Retro Handset, imprinted with Sunflower’s logo, and I’ve already traded for an Alarm Clock Radio with built-in CD Player. What’s next, you ask? Who knows?! You might know. Because you might be the next person who wants to trade with me. I’ve got this Alarm Clock Radio for trade. You might have heard about it? Yes, the one with the built-in CD Player. What do you want to trade me for it? E-mail me and let me know (ekampsen@mcind.com).
Now, a little about the trade itself. Dude was weird, but then again, aren’t most people who use Craigslist? Yes, yes they are. I don’t like to wait for answers – you’ll get to know that about me. Anyways, we’re meeting behind Wendy’s near 7th and Topeka, and this big dude rolls up on a Gary Fisher mountain bike. The thing looks brand new. The rider however, does not. Missing half a head of hair and half a mouth of teeth, and rocking a wife beater that I’m sure was white when he bought it, the dude looks like something straight off an episode of Cops. And under his arm, he’s got the Alarm Clock Radio, complete with built-in CD player.
Now most people would have locked their doors and rolled up their windows at this point, started the car, peeled out of there, but I, being familiar with the kind of crowd Craigslist attracts, was unphased. I stepped out of the car and he said “you Elijah?” and I said “Yep. You Darnell?” and he said “yep. You got the ‘Ringy Dingy’ Retro Handset?” and I said “Yep. You got the Alarm Clock Radio?” and with it under his arm he gazed into my eyes with a stare so piercing it could’ve cut diamonds.
I returned the gaze with a stare so dull it could’ve been a prison shank.
We made the trade, and then I made like the Exorcist and got the hell out of there.
And now I want to do it all over again. Only this time, it won’t be me who’s getting the Alarm Clock Radio, if you know what I mean.
I’ve also been reading some marketing textbooks and watching some marketing videos. Good stuff.
Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.
As I’m sure you are already well-aware (having subscribed to mine and Sunflower Marketing’s Facebook and Twitter updates), part of my job responsibilities here include a re-enactment of the One Red Paperclip Project. For those of you who are unfamiliar with said project, I will not elaborate. Google it – you’re not helpless!
I’m kidding of course. You’ll get to know that about me. I’m never serious. Except for right now; I’m 100% serious about never being serious.
The Red Paperclip Project was a viral story about a man who used the barter section of Craigslist to trade a red paperclip (thus the name “One Red Paperclip”) for a house. Beginning with the red paperclip, he offered it for trade and began trading up just a little bit at a time, a paperclip for a wooden fish pen, a wooden fish pen for a doorknob, a doorknob for a Coleman stove, you get the idea… Until in the end he had traded for a house. No, I’m not joking, we already discussed that. Having begun with the one red paperclip and having spent no extra money of his own, he ended with a house. A house!!
Now I’ve started with a Sunflower promotional product, the “Ringy Dingy” Retro Handset, imprinted with Sunflower’s logo, and I’ve already traded for an Alarm Clock Radio with built-in CD Player. What’s next, you ask? Who knows?! You might know. Because you might be the next person who wants to trade with me. I’ve got this Alarm Clock Radio for trade. You might have heard about it? Yes, the one with the built-in CD Player. What do you want to trade me for it? E-mail me and let me know (ekampsen@mcind.com).
Now, a little about the trade itself. Dude was weird, but then again, aren’t most people who use Craigslist? Yes, yes they are. I don’t like to wait for answers – you’ll get to know that about me. Anyways, we’re meeting behind Wendy’s near 7th and Topeka, and this big dude rolls up on a Gary Fisher mountain bike. The thing looks brand new. The rider however, does not. Missing half a head of hair and half a mouth of teeth, and rocking a wife beater that I’m sure was white when he bought it, the dude looks like something straight off an episode of Cops. And under his arm, he’s got the Alarm Clock Radio, complete with built-in CD player.
Now most people would have locked their doors and rolled up their windows at this point, started the car, peeled out of there, but I, being familiar with the kind of crowd Craigslist attracts, was unphased. I stepped out of the car and he said “you Elijah?” and I said “Yep. You Darnell?” and he said “yep. You got the ‘Ringy Dingy’ Retro Handset?” and I said “Yep. You got the Alarm Clock Radio?” and with it under his arm he gazed into my eyes with a stare so piercing it could’ve cut diamonds.
I returned the gaze with a stare so dull it could’ve been a prison shank.
We made the trade, and then I made like the Exorcist and got the hell out of there.
And now I want to do it all over again. Only this time, it won’t be me who’s getting the Alarm Clock Radio, if you know what I mean.
I’ve also been reading some marketing textbooks and watching some marketing videos. Good stuff.
Follow Elijah's shenanigans on Twitter.
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