The internet is full with hilarious viral pictures – but one particular photo not only won my laughter, but kept me for a few minutes thinking about it. It is because that one single image covers key marketing concepts:

So how can one learn Marketing concepts from the picture above?

1.  Segmentation. Do you really know your customers? Are there different Here’s the “marketer” (homeless man) segments his customers based on beliefs. All major beliefs are covered, even the NON-belief (atheists), and the undecided (agnostics). The Buddhists may not appreciate the typo, but based on what I know about Buddhism, they probably wouldn’t take offence anyway.
2. Make your benefit clear. A simple act of giving alms is still transactional. I never believe there is a pure one-way good deed, where only one party benefits. When alms is given, both parties benefit. The recipient gets money/sustenance, the giver gets “feel good”, or extra points to get into heaven. In this case, the homeless guy is offering the feeling of “I care for the homeless” in exchange of few coins.
3. Advertising. Advertising must be simple and clear. If one wants to put creative twist, ideally it is based on relevant consumer insight. And that is:
4. Consumer insight. It is one thing to feel good/win extra points for heaven, it is another thing to be pitted against other religion/beliefs. Homeless dude, aka the marketer, understands a key insight of religious people: many religious people are insecure. They need to feel their religion is superior than the others (“I have the ONLY truth!”). Even many atheists feel the urge to prove that religion does not make one a better person. So why not make use of the insight? Create a competitive message, which religion cares the most about the homeless, and let that need to be “the best religion” translate into revenue!

If this guy came up with this idea himself, somebody offered him a job in marketing/advertising!