When you're one of many technical support services looking to stand out at industry events, it helps to be colorful. PlumChoice has recognized this simple fact and chosen to firmly embrace its color of choice – purple. They have created “purple brick roads” leading from the speaker podium directly to the PlumChoice party, where they serve Plumtinis made from grape juice and vodka.

PlumChoice founder Ted Werth says, “Everyone wants to know why I chose that as the name. It simply means the best. Deep plum is a regal color. Our view is that we provide the best service in the industry, bar none.”

To drive home this point, PlumChoice hands out fake syringes filled with purple liquid at events, inviting prospects to give themselves a technology booster shot, along with pill bottles containing plum-colored M&Ms with labels telling people to call PlumChoice in the morning.

Sticking with this theme, the company also created a cruise with Jimmy Buffet-style entertainment that attracted more than 50 retailers that had previously refused one-on-one meetings with the company. Each received a direct-mail piece that included Tylenol in a purple foil envelope and the pledge that PlumChoice can “solve your technology support headaches.”

“There is so much noise in the marketplace. You need to really differentiate yourself to get anyone's attention,” says Michael Phelan, executive director of marketing at PlumChoice. “These quirky promotions have helped us generate leads, frequently with prospects who refused more conventional overtures. The promotions alone don't sell our services, but they help get our foot in the door. And, sometimes that's more than half the battle.”