21 Unconventional Marketing Ideas You Can Steal
Creative experiments restaurants, SaaS, and local businesses can use to get people talking, coming back, and spreading the word.
Every business owner asks the same thing: “How do I get more customers without spending a fortune?”
The answer isn’t always more budget. It’s smarter ideas.
At Toronto’s first stock market themed bar, CKTL & Co., the prices move like a live ticker.
As guests order, select drink prices rise or fall on screens around the room, all synced to real demand. A QR code shows the live list, and a visible price floor keeps the bar within AGCO rules.
“It can (adjust by) 25 cents, 75 cents or $1” - Kushal Shah
Whether you call it dynamic pricing or gamified happy hour, the lesson is simple. When pricing becomes a story people can see and share, it pulls customers in, drives trial, and gives a brand something competitors cannot copy quickly.
Here’s a list of wild, scrappy, and sometimes slightly unhinged marketing experiments that restaurants, SaaS companies, and local services can use today.
For Restaurants and Tourism
These ideas give people a reason to choose you over the place across the street:
Leave us a review, get a drink named after you. Instant bragging rights. You create loyalty and a mini cult of regulars whose names live on the cocktail menu.
Logo tattoos = free food. If someone gets your restaurant logo tattooed, they eat free for a year. Crazy? Sure. But a single customer with a logo tattoo can spark news coverage worth thousands.
Eat twice, pay what you want the third time. A loyalty program disguised as a dare. It gamifies repeat visits. Customers who eat at your restaurant two times in a day, weekend, or week can choose what to pay for the third visit.
Build-your-own experience. Take a cue from Subway. Meat, veg, starch, all à la carte. Steak $12, potatoes $6, carrots $3.75. Even the cutlery could be rented for a dollar per utensil. In a time of rising food prices, it’s a fun way for patrons to get the lowest price for their meal. In tourism, you could let guests select everything from the number of pillows to access to amenities. It gives restaurants and hotels more opportunities to upsell while offering extreme personalization without costing the business extra.
Social proof. Diners often ask their server “how’s the fish?” or “should I order the steak or the pasta?” Add stats on the menu. “X% of guests choose the fish and Y% choose the steak.” It validates decisions and tells you where to price. If the fish is a favorite, you know you can increase its price.
Gamify the experience. Order four appetizers to earn a point, four points earns a free dessert. One Yelp review is worth two points. Pay $20 a month for a premium membership and earn double.
The “Olivia” menu. Password-only, hyper-local. Say “I know Olivia” to unlock a secret menu. Locals love exclusivity. Tourists will chase the story.
Review = discount. 1% off the bill for every 5-star Google review left on the spot. Tiny margin hit, massive SEO impact. Since 90% of consumers won’t travel more than 5 km for a restaurant, ranking at the top of Google Maps is key to success.
Transparency to prove quality. Display the cost of your food beside the price. It’s a strong way to show customers you use premium ingredients. It builds trust and justifies pricing.
Surge pricing. Restaurants often have long lineups at peak times but stand empty off-peak. One way to solve this is to take a lesson from Uber with surge pricing. Prices increase closer to 6 pm or 12 pm. The dynamic balance helps reduce lineups while maximizing revenue.
For SaaS
Software doesn’t have to feel boring. Your billing model can be the marketing.
Pay with a tweet. Extend a trial if a user tweets about you and tags the brand. Free promotion, zero ad spend.
Link for discount. Each backlink from a user’s blog or site = 10% off the monthly bill. You turn customers into your off-page SEO team.
Choose your contract. Let users pick: 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or 5 years. Long-term buyers lock in discounts. Short-term buyers feel no pressure. Everyone wins.
Anti-subscription model. Pay once per feature forever. Upsell optional updates. Feels more like buying a toolkit than renting software. When you sunset a version, clients can upgrade or lose the tool. Creative software like Pro Tools and Adobe used to work this way.
Dynamic usage pricing. Light users pay less, power users pay more. Usage = fairness.
Integration discounts. The more integrations a customer connects, the cheaper the monthly cost. Aligns your revenue with product stickiness.
Reverse pricing. Hit usage milestones and the subscription price drops. Incentivizes usage instead of churn.
Write about us, get a free month. A 1,000-word article about your software = one free month. Great for case studies, content, and SEO.
For Local Services
Plumbers, real estate agents, landscapers—these playbooks work offline too.
Review rebate. Give 5% of your commission back if a client leaves a 5-star review. Reviews compound. Works great for mortgage and insurance brokers.
Text your info instantly. When a lead calls, send your contact info directly to their phone via text. They save you with one tap. Bonus: slip in promos or referral codes.
Hidden promos in contacts. Add “Ask me about my referral program” to your contact card notes. Every share becomes free word of mouth.
Clone your presence. Open multiple Google Maps listings. One location = a trickle. Ten locations = a steady pipeline.
Geo-stacking leads. Each extra Google Maps pin is worth one lead a month. Ten pins over 12 months = 120 inbound leads.
Micro-referrals. Offer a small $25 thank-you for every referral. Keep it low-friction so people don’t hesitate to share.