Mango Bull

Who didn’t hear about the missing Bowen Mango?  10 tonne, 10 metre tall Big Mango just disappears. It’s on social media (its own Facebook page), traditional media, you can even buy it on Gumtree; what fantastic exposure this has given (and continues to give) the town of Bowen. From a marketing perspective it’s brilliant. As later revealed it was a marketing idea. Maybe it was thought that it would create some interest on social media, but when you get people who can’t name the Leader of the Opposition (State or Federal) know that Bowen is missing it’s Big Mango, you’ve implemented a brilliant strategy.  What if Rockhampton was suddenly to have 1 of its bulls ‘stolen’? Would the same hype be generated? Missing testicles is always of interest, imagine a whole bull. Could it be done in secret though. Road signs would have to be erected advising road closed. Traffic controllers in hi-vis vests at either end of the road. Safety inspectors would be on site along with the crane, semi trailer and pilot vehicle. If done at night the spotlights would brighten up a football ground and the noise of the generators couldn’t be ignored. Of course this would be after months of meetings to determine if it should be moved or not, a business case presented to Council with a cost benefit analysis and a community consultation conducted. To the people involved in the disappearing Bowen Mango well done in either jumping through all the hoops or just finding a way to get around them. No doubt there will now be detractors about the ‘stunt’ how those involved should be prosecuted, the unnecessary risks they took, media blamed for not able to see through the stunt and amount of time given to the story at the expense of real stories. What it demonstrates though is the power of the idea. Without a dollar spent on media, they got nationwide coverage, online and off-line. It’s the size of the idea, not necessarily the size of the budget that gains the biggest impact. A challenge now for Central Queensland, what big idea can we conceive that when realised can deliver nationwide attention. As Bowen has demonstrated it doesn’t have to a complex idea. Simplicity is often best.