I’m thinking of a famous business. See if you can guess which one.

This company gets tons of free advertising each year, and more than likely, you’ve marketed for them without realizing it.

Here’s a clue: you’ve probably taken pictures/videos of something this company owns. Many people post these images on their social media feed.

Hmmm… what business could it be? And what makes people want to take pictures?

Another hint: Think about a little glass slipper. 

Ok, enough guessing. 

I’m talking about the Cinderella castles at Disney World and Disneyland.

Almost everyone who visits these parks — families, couples, friends — snaps pictures in front of these iconic attractions. 

And then they post on their Facebook and Instagram feeds to make everyone back home a little jealous.

It cost $4.7 million to build the Disney World castle. It was money well-spent. Every day of the year, both castles (in FL and CA) generate a boatload of free advertising.

What's A Phone Trigger?

The castles are the world’s greatest “phone triggers.” 

A phone trigger is when your business does something extraordinary that makes a customer want to take a picture or video.

Today, everyone has a phone in their pocket. When people experience something interesting, it’s a natural reflex to grab the phone and hit the camera button. 

• Think about Carmax. When you purchase one of their cars, they place a huge “Carmax” bow on the roof. Almost everyone takes a picture. 

• There’s a Las Vegas Taco Bell offering weddings. Couples can purchase a wedding ceremony where they receive tacos, t-shirts, and a sauce packet bouquet. What do people do at weddings? Take pictures and videos.

• In Virginia, there’s a Winery featuring the “world’s tallest goat tower.” Come for a glass of wine and enjoy watching goats climb the steep steps of a stone tower. When you witness climbing goats, what are you going to do? Take pictures.

Any industry can tap into the power of phone trigger. 

How To Create Your Own Phone Trigger

You don’t have to build a Cinderella castle or a goat tower to have a great phone trigger. But you do need an idea.

Ideas come from asking the right questions, like these: 

1) What will WOW my target market?

Think about your most typical customer. What will delight them? An Indiana amusement park includes free fountain drinks with admission. Why? Their target market is young people who love sodas.

2) What are two different things that I can somehow connect?

Creativity is finding a through-line and connecting things which seem different. It’s why the Taco Bell wedding idea works so well. Because it’s so unusual, people talk about it.

3) What’s something your competitors aren’t doing?

Phone triggers help you avoid the copycat syndrome. A California restaurant fans out playing cards facedown and tells customers, “If you pick the joker, your meal is free.” This has become so popular that lines form out the doors. 

4) What is something you already do, but you can do differently?

There’s a restaurant that “burns” their logo into hamburger buns. When the staff delivers these burgers to tables, the reaction is always the same: people grab their phones. It’s a simple idea requiring only the purchase of a cheap bun-burning tool.

A Phone Trigger Can Create Remarkable Results

Imagine if your company did something so remarkable that people told their friends.

It can happen, but it just requires thinking differently about your marketing.

Phone triggers represent the ultimate crown of advertising, the holy grail of positioning — because it means free marketing.

So the next time you see a picture of a family standing in front of Cinderella’s castle, think to yourself: “Hey Disney, nice phone trigger!"

About Me

Hey, I’m Brian, co-founder of Genie Jar Digital. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a smooth moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor. I recently released a young adult novel called The Jungle Within.