PNG Marketing Genius

The Trukai Fun Run was on over the weekend, actually starting at the ungodly hour of 7am on Sunday morning. But I have admit I tip my hat to whoever it was in the Trukai's marketing department who came up with the idea to sponsor this event. A piece of PNG marketing brilliance.

The fun run is a very popular event here in PNG. They are held all over the country - Port Moresby, Lae, the highlands, Madang and even outposts like Kavieng and Alotau. To enter the fun run - and here is the brilliance - you need to purchase and wear the bright canary-yellow Trukai emblazoned T-shirt. Not sure how much the shirt costs, no doubt cheap, but it doesn't really matter.

If you are thinking "hey that's not that brilliant an idea" you haven't been to PNG. Because this marketing ploy is a long-termer. Not only do Trukai get their well-known T-shirt's on the evening news and in the newspapers the day after, but they get a whole years and more free advertising.

PNGns like nothing more than a "free" T-shirt to wear around, and one that denotes that they have partaken in a fun run, even better to show off. And they certainly do, canary yellow will be the colour on the streets for a while to come.