The Jessica & Ashley Simpson team are to be highly commended for their marketing genius. Say what you want about the girls but the fact is, they're everywhere and are successfully marketing the heck out of themselves.

The half hour shows each has are basically 30 minute commercials that rev up their respective fan bases several times per week.

These shows are a lesson in the latest subtle marketing trends.

What we mean by that is that the latest trend in marketing is to promote and market to the public without them realizing that it's happening.

Long ago this was done (and still is) in movies & TV with things like product placement. Now, reality TV shows are doing it bigger and doing it well.

While the Ashley Simpson show and Jessica's show, Newlyweds, star the "products" they're marketing, shows like The Apprentice highlight their marketed products in the show's competitions.

The Pepsi bottles, Burger King's new burger and PS2's new game, etc. are all products that effectively received one hour of promotion by being featured on The Apprentice.

If you're a consumer and didn't realize that this was happening, wake up and smell the promo.

If you have a product you want to promote, this is a fantastic way to get your product in the public eye. It features your product in the most favorable light, makes it cool and popular, while keeping it down to earth and real since it's not an "official" commercial.

Don't have the Apprentice / Simpsons budget but still want to get your product out there? We have some ideas for you:

1. Try the Internet. The Internet offers as much exposure as TV but in a more intimate setting since you are directly in contact with individual consumers and can receive individual feedback from each one. You can also sell them your product directly on the spot, whereas with TV you have to wait and hope they go to the store and remember your product.

We have developed a number of web based marketing vehicles for our clients that do not overtly look like advertisements.

For example, one of our clients is an association for small and home-based businesses. To promote for new members we created a blog for them and a daily tips newsletter. Their blog and daily tips provide real valuable assistance and info to small & home based businesses with no strings. Yes, the source is known and subscribers will receive invitations to join the association, but the information and help is real and it's free.

2. Publicity. Publicity. Publicity. - This wonderful inexpensive medium doesn't get the credit it deserves outside the professional marketing & PR communities.

Big (and soon-to-be-big) corporate honchos realize how important publicity is in selling their product. But most small & medium sized businesses don't.

If you are not using PR to promote your product you're leaving money on the table.

PR also gives you a chance to say more than you can in an ad. It gives you an opportunity to be frank about your proudct, to be less formal and more down to earth.

We highly recommend to all of our clients that their marketing campaigns include PR and will work with their publicists to create a campaign worthy of the media attention they will generate. If our client does not have a PR firm, we can recommend several excellent ones.

3. Connect. - Nothing sells a product like personal contact. Get in touch with your consumer. There are many ways to do this.

Hold in store demonstrations. Attend trade shows. Have a local promotion at stores or another popular local venue. Put together promotions in cooperation with local events such as concerts & benefits where you and your products are in direct contact with consumers. Sponsor events with product give-aways.

There are infinite ways you can connect with your consumer. The above ideas will hopefully get your creative juices flowing.

A professional marketing firm can always help you put together a full promotional campaign if you need more help and is a good way to go regardless since professional assistance will always save you time and therefore be cheaper in the long run.

Regardless of what you decide, we hope the above ideas will get you started and on your way to success in promoting your products with subtlety.

--------- Toli Cefail, Marketing Expert News

Toli Cefail is one of the founding partners of InTouch Media Group (www.intouchmediagroup.com).

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