Marketing Tactics - part 1:
'Silverware'

Here's a well-established marketing technique recently morphed into an exciting new Internet form. Those bold enough to try it may reap huge rewards.

by Kevin Beauchamp [December 14, 1999]

Most ISP's share one basic marketing problem—making the computer-using masses aware of their existence. Most of us realize that if we could just get the message out that we offer Internet services, we'd gain customers like crazy. Advertising is the contact vehicle that allows us to get that message out and draw all of those eyeballs to your site. Of course, cutting through the noise of the net's already overloaded ads and at the lowest possible expense is easier said than done.

A new ad medium has recently surfaced and is gaining in popularity with companies operating in cyberspace. For lack of a better term, I've coined a new geek-speak name for it: I call it "silverware."

Roots
Silverware is an adaptation of a now-familiar advertising method that was invented in the glory days (some would say stone age) of the Internet, back when magazines like Boardwatch were about BBSs and the word ISP hadn't been invented: shareware.

The concept of shareware is simple: Hook the customer with a free demo of a computer program and let the demo sell the product for you. Shareware demos are frequently disseminated by users who want to share them with their friends. Most of these shareware demos take the form of games or other entertaining or useful programs that interest computer users.

'Silverware' programs operate essentially under the same concept as shareware, except that the programs distributed are complete and require no purchase by the end user. These programs offer the end user entertainment or amusement and come with a different price—your advertising is embedded within the program. Silverware has become a new, way-cool method of advertising for companies operating in cyberspace.

How it works
Small executable programs are created that entertain and amuse the user briefly. Silverware programs are self-contained .EXE's that don't require any installation. Just click on the file and the game launches for instant advertising . . . er, entertainment.

A megabyte or less is the preferred size for these programs. The most entertainment bang you can squeeze into the least amount of program size is the preferred ratio. The program is then uploaded to a branded web page for downloading or attached by other users to an e-mail for distribution to their friends.

Within the silverware program, there can be any number of references to your company's services. Some silverware may simply have a company logo set in the corner of the screen while others may flash an ad screen between rounds or sessions of each game. Logos or ad screens typically are active links to your company's website sales pages.

Is it spam?
While silverware might seem like a form of spam, it's certainly not spamming in the traditional sense of UCE, since users are essentially spreading the word about your company voluntarily, through an entertaining and mostly well received medium.

Silverware can be thought of as sort of interactive commercial for your company, sort of like all of those Super Bowl commercials we all like to watch at half-time. But bear in mind that in order to be effective, to motivate users to pass on your interactive commercial to their friends, your silverware program must entertain or be of some real value to an end user. The use of good, clean, non-offensive humor is a huge plus in these entertainment programs also.

Go to page 2: Silverware development—and a holiday surprise!