FREE IDEAS, EXPENSIVE EXPRESSIONS — THE STRATEGY OF MODERN MARKETING
GORDON RAMSAY’S SECRET
Whether or not you watch reality TV shows, chances are you’ve probably heard of Gordon Ramsay, the famous (and some say controversial) celebrity chef. Food-savvy enthusiasts know that he is famous for hosting a variety of television programs, such as Master Chef and Hell’s Kitchen.
Today, Gordon Ramsay has established an impressive corner for himself in the cooking and reality television world. Apart from hosting 4 of FOX’s top-rated TV shows — Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, MasterChef JR, and 24 Hours to Hell and Back — he also possesses a total of 7 Michelin stars from an impressive collection of restaurants located all over the world, ranging from Singapore and Dubai, to Versailles, and of course, the US.
The guy can cook anything — burgers, steak, pizza, filet mignon — you name it, he can perfect it. He also turned his expertise in cooking from fork to page. Ramsay boasts multiple bestselling books, programs, and cooking courses.
Needless to say, Ramsay stands out from his competition.
Now, one would ask: “What’s his secret?”
Surely, a chef’s greatest secret is his recipes, right? That is how any Michelin-star chef would stand out. They have their recipes, expertise, and skills to differentiate themselves.
But for Gordon, his secret is: there is no secret.
He gave all his ideas and expertise, away for free.
If you go onto his website, you’ll find copious amounts of recipes, along with carefully crafted instructions and tips from Gordon’s years of experience, all for free.
He does not care if competitors learn from his craft.
And, by the way, that’s only his website. Gordon’s YouTube channel covers even more recipes, ones that are featured in his bestselling books & are staples in his Michelin-star restaurants.
Though you’re welcome to take a try at these renowned recipes for yourself, Gordon Ramsay still charges a hefty price for his world-class dishes should you be so lucky to eat in his Michelin-star restaurants, of course. This business strategy has been immensely successful for Ramsay, making him the wealthiest chef in the world.
That’s interesting.
Why would people still pay money for a dish they can make at home?
Wouldn’t people stop going to his restaurants now that his recipes are free and they can try them at home?
Sure, but they’re not Gordon Ramsay.
FREE IDEAS, EXPENSIVE EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED
Ramsay’s successful business secret is due to the concept “Free Ideas, Expensive Expressions”, coined by Seth Godin.
In Seth’s book “This Is Marketing”, the author describes the strategy as continually giving away your “Idea”, including insights, knowledge, entertainment, and other intangible value, free of charge. Then, your business will monetize for the “Expressions” of those free Ideas. They are the “repackaging” of your Ideas, and according to Seth, making them the “souvenirs” of your Ideas.
Simply put, free ideas create a platform for you to sell.
Gordon Ramsay knows this very well. Anyone can access his recipes for free online, but if people want to eat the same dish (an “expression” of his free recipe) at his restaurant, they’d have to pay for it.
Let’s take a look at another example. The band ABBA hosts their hit songs on YouTube for free, yet charges money for a mix playlist containing those songs. Same concept. The songs are the intangible Ideas they’re willing to give away at no cost. While the playlist — containing the same songs by the way — that they sell is a “repackage” of the pieces into a “souvenir”.
When a famous circus performs their stunts at your local festival, they are giving away their show without making a dime. The entertainment show (Idea) is then “repackaged” into many “Expressions” that the circus can make money off, including merch, posters, even toys.
WHY THIS STRATEGY WORKS
If you want to sell souvenirs to a tourist, you’ll need to first make them love the trip.
In our modern market, we are bombarded with information and marketing messages at every moment, so much that we become very selective in what we “pay” our (precious) attention to. Hence, it’s getting more difficult for businesses to break through the clutter and attract their audience.
Almost always, we now want (expect) some form of “value” to be offered before we become customers, before we are engaged in any transaction, and before there is a customer relationship forming.
It seems like, then, the only way for businesses to break through the clutter and attract their audiences is free (but powerful) ideas. That would be the ultimate offering and the best way to build a good “first impression” of yourself as trustworthy, knowledgeable and reliable.
Once you are willing to give away the “intangible value”, it becomes contagious. Free ideas are more likely to spread, making it easier for your audience to engage with, find, and connect with you. If your Ideas are good, people can’t resist but to embody it. They will be attracted to your ideas. You’ll end up having a customer base, without doing any complicated tactics to attract them.
You will soon establish yourself as the thought leader, an expert in your market — Someone who constantly disrupts the market with world-class, money-making Ideas, given away for free.
This creates an uncontested marketplace for you, one with no competition. Your audience base will love your ideas, champion it, and are willing to buy any “expressions” you offer.
CASE STUDY: GetResponse
For the past decade, GetResponse has established itself as one of the world’s largest email marketing platforms. They have done this by partnering with leading companies like IKEA, CD Projekt, and UNESCO. The platform gives marketers and entrepreneurs the tools and services they need to easily implement their marketing and promotions to their email list.
Founded in 2000, GetResponse’s initial years were difficult. The company found it really challenging to attract new customers. With only 6 employees, it was difficult to break through the marketing clutter to get its message across to people. It had to outcompete marketing agency giants, to somehow stand out in an increasingly overcrowded market.
The company soon understood that to get people using their website tools, they would have to provide free values to build an audience base. Otherwise, they were just another name in a sea of internet companies with nothing special to offer the consumer.
GetResponse created GetResponse University, a collection of various programs, courses, and consulting sessions on email marketing, all for free. Because their ideas are so good and not found (for free) anywhere else, people started sharing them and “tuning in” to the University courses.
The rest was history. By giving out free Ideas, GetResponse established itself as a thought leader with thousands of “students” worldwide. With such massive loyal audience base whom all embody GetResponse’s free strategies & tactics, the company only needed to “repackage” those Ideas into tangible “Expression”, in the form of website tools (that work based on the free Strategies & Tactics ideas talked about).
People started using the service and fell in love with its features. The best part? They could try it for free.
KEY THOUGHTS
🡺 To sell any product or service, you’ll need to give away its free “Ideas”. So, see what “free secret weapon” your business can provide to your audience right now.
🡺 An audience who embodies your “Ideas” is your ideal customer target.
🡺 Value is the new game.
Sources:
This Is Marketing (2018), Seth Godin, p.184
