The Piñata Principle

My personal interaction with piñatas is limited to two occasions as a child, but I’ve seen enough video evidence of other piñata interactions over the years to where I feel I have a large enough sample size to provide educated comments on them.
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Aside from the cliché hit to an unsuspecting head/groin/gut, the most common piñata theme seems to be difficulty in busting one open. Swing after swing, hit after hit, and still no candy. Yet, these children continue to swing their arms off, knowing the sweet payoff which awaits them inside the colorful

beast. There is a valuable marketing lesson to be learned from the mighty piñata, or more specifically, the exhausted children seeking the candy inside.

View the piñata as the general marketing public, and the candy inside is your share of customers for whatever widget or service you offer. The broomstick represents a marketing message trying to reach those customers. Wham! Broomstick hits the piñata, or, message sent to potential customer. How long do you keep swinging? In the case of children and piñatas, they don’t stop until the candy falls. As it relates to marketing, I would argue the same “Piñata Principle” should apply.
 
While everyone would like a single marketing message to make “candy fall,” we all know that’s not the case. Research indicates multiple messages are needed – Repetition is a proven marketing approach. Those who take one swing at the piñata hoping for immediate results will be disappointed, unless they possess immense physical strength (brand awareness) or an oversized broomstick (large budget.)
 
In the world of small business, results are far more plausible through a committed, repetitive, well developed marketing plan which allows for multiple swings at the piñata. If you know the candy is there, make sure you have the stamina to take enough swings to reach your goal.