Personalization, gamification, pandemic–ification. How do you make your marketing successful in 2022? Read on.
Vol. 3, July 2022
Hello, readers!
Can we talk about marketing? The industry is evolving faster than you can say “hashtag TikTok challenge.” And if trend research tells us anything, it’s this: Personalization is the key to the future. And if we want to be successful, it’s a concept we need to unlock.
A recent Salesforce report found that 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, and 62% think companies should anticipate their needs.
We read a lot of articles about industry trends, but we’ve never seen one that says “#3: Learn to predict the future.”
What we do see a lot of are trends such as using video marketing to put a human face to the brand, creating content that addresses customer needs, using (like, really using) data and analytics, connecting via social media and the list goes on.
Do you know what all those tactics have in common? Understanding that customers are people, too.
When “personalization” first became a buzzword, it conjured notions of sending 10k unique discounts to 10k unique people on your email list. (Raise your hand if you’ve never been happier to be wrong about something.) Today, personalization simply means putting ourselves into our customers’ shoes, getting to know them and helping make their lives easier.
Read on for Three Fresh Ideas on marketing, 2022-style: what you’re really selling as a marketer, how to make magic without a lot of money, and how to get the most out of a brainstorm. (Part 2 – putting those ideas into action – coming in August!)
Sell the end, not the means
Have you ever noticed that you don’t see sick people in pharmaceutical ads?
Opinions of the drug-ad industry aside, we can all agree that they are masters at selling the end result vs. the product. Think about how many happy, frolicking-in-the-meadow, healthy people you see vs. patients who are actually depicted in the throes of whatever ailment their medication is designed to fix?
It’s 21st-century proof that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that picture, regardless of the product, is happiness. New doll = happy kids. Pet-themed subscription box = happy fur baby. New corporate initiative = happy work life. You might call it “lifestyle marketing.”
To get to the end result that you’re trying to sell, you must first figure out what your audience wants to achieve. What are their pain points? What makes their life difficult, and how can you make it easier?
The message can change depending on your channel and audience: If you sell treadmills to both consumers and gyms, their “result” is going to be different, for example. Same applies if both men and women use your product or service. It all comes back to knowing your audience.
One word of advice — Always be sure that the picture you paint is realistic, because truth in this industry still matters. But if you want to win at personalization, start by figuring out what “truth” means for your customers.
Then, ask your doctor if lifestyle marketing is right for you.
Champagne marketing on a juice-box budget
Cheers! You’ve put together a stellar marketing plan! You’re ready to get to work… then you receive your budget in an email that ends with “Don’t @ me.”
Now what?
Marketing budgets are typically 7%-12% of a company’s revenue. And although your mileage may vary, it seems there’s never enough to go around.
Fortunately, marketers have always been able to pull off impressive stunts, even at bargain prices. It just requires getting a little scrappy.
Example: The Dollar Shave Club spent only $4,500 to introduce itself with its original (and hilarious) explainer video in 2012. They made millions. Four years later, the razor company was acquired by Unilever for a billion dollars.
Sadly, not every stunt is that wildly successful. (Even if we all think ours will be next.)
We see you there with your sky-high ambitions and your lo-fi purchase order. Check out these tips for how to:
- Discover brand influencers — for free! — in the most unexpected places
- Get free publicity for the cool stuff you’re already doing
- Punch above your weight by doing what your competition hasn’t figured out.
Bring the thunder: How to get the most out of your brainstorm
Have you ever seen what you thought was the worst. campaign. ever. and thought to yourself, “Did someone seriously sit in a brainstorm and say, ‘Hey! I have a great idea!’”
Brainstorms are tricky business. Inviting the right mix of people, maintaining the perfect energy, coming to the ideal solution … it’s a lot. Get it right, and you could put the next “Flo from Progressive” on your résumé. Get it wrong, and well … ask Pepsi.
Several common tropes find their way into many brainstorms — The sky’s the limit! There are no dumb ideas! Shoot for the stars! There are no rules here!
Well … maybe there should be a *few* rules in place. Because at the end of the day, those pie-in-the-sky ideas need to be turned into actual, doable strategies. And it can feel pretty defeating to walk out of a brainstorm with fewer good ideas than you had when you were just noodling stuff around in your own head.
Want to get it right? Read on.
And a meme
Which one are you?
Personalization, gamification, pandemic–ification.
Vol. 3, July 2022
Hello, readers!
Can we talk about marketing? The industry is evolving faster than you can say “hashtag TikTok challenge.” And if trend research tells us anything, it’s this: Personalization is the key to the future. And if we want to be successful, it’s a concept we need to unlock.
A recent Salesforce report found that 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, and 62% think companies should anticipate their needs.
We read a lot of articles about industry trends, but we’ve never seen one that says “#3: Learn to predict the future.”
What we do see a lot of are trends such as using video marketing to put a human face to the brand, creating content that addresses customer needs, using (like, really using) data and analytics, connecting via social media and the list goes on.
Do you know what all those tactics have in common? Understanding that customers are people, too.
When “personalization” first became a buzzword, it conjured notions of sending 10k unique discounts to 10k unique people on your email list. (Raise your hand if you’ve never been happier to be wrong about something.) Today, personalization simply means putting ourselves into our customers’ shoes, getting to know them and helping make their lives easier.
Read on for Three Fresh Ideas on marketing, 2022-style: what you’re really selling as a marketer, how to make magic without a lot of money, and how to get the most out of a brainstorm. (Part 2 – putting those ideas into action – coming in August!)
Sell the end, not the means
Have you ever noticed that you don’t see sick people in pharmaceutical ads?
Opinions of the drug-ad industry aside, we can all agree that they are masters at selling the end result vs. the product. Think about how many happy, frolicking-in-the-meadow, healthy people you see vs. patients who are actually depicted in the throes of whatever ailment their medication is designed to fix?
It’s 21st-century proof that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that picture, regardless of the product, is happiness. New doll = happy kids. Pet-themed subscription box = happy fur baby. New corporate initiative = happy work life. You might call it “lifestyle marketing.”
To get to the end result that you’re trying to sell, you must first figure out what your audience wants to achieve. What are their pain points? What makes their life difficult, and how can you make it easier?
The message can change depending on your channel and audience: If you sell treadmills to both consumers and gyms, their “result” is going to be different, for example. Same applies if both men and women use your product or service. It all comes back to knowing your audience.
One word of advice — Always be sure that the picture you paint is realistic, because truth in this industry still matters. But if you want to win at personalization, start by figuring out what “truth” means for your customers.
Then, ask your doctor if lifestyle marketing is right for you.
Champagne marketing on a juice-box budget
Cheers! You’ve put together a stellar marketing plan! You’re ready to get to work… then you receive your budget in an email that ends with “Don’t @ me.”
Now what?
Marketing budgets are typically 7%-12% of a company’s revenue. And although your mileage may vary, it seems there’s never enough to go around.
Fortunately, marketers have always been able to pull off impressive stunts, even at bargain prices. It just requires getting a little scrappy.
Example: The Dollar Shave Club spent only $4,500 to introduce itself with its original (and hilarious) explainer video in 2012. They made millions. Four years later, the razor company was acquired by Unilever for a billion dollars.
Sadly, not every stunt is that wildly successful. (Even if we all think ours will be next.)
We see you there with your sky-high ambitions and your lo-fi purchase order. Check out these tips for how to:
- Discover brand influencers — for free! — in the most unexpected places
- Get free publicity for the cool stuff you’re already doing
- Punch above your weight by doing what your competition hasn’t figured out.
Bring the thunder: How to get the most out of your brainstorm
Have you ever seen what you thought was the worst. campaign. ever. and thought to yourself, “Did someone seriously sit in a brainstorm and say, ‘Hey! I have a great idea!’”
Brainstorms are tricky business. Inviting the right mix of people, maintaining the perfect energy, coming to the ideal solution … it’s a lot. Get it right, and you could put the next “Flo from Progressive” on your résumé. Get it wrong, and well … ask Pepsi.
Several common tropes find their way into many brainstorms — The sky’s the limit! There are no dumb ideas! Shoot for the stars! There are no rules here!
Well … maybe there should be a *few* rules in place. Because at the end of the day, those pie-in-the-sky ideas need to be turned into actual, doable strategies. And it can feel pretty defeating to walk out of a brainstorm with fewer good ideas than you had when you were just noodling stuff around in your own head.
Want to get it right? Read on.
And a meme
Which one are you?
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Three fresh ideas (and a meme)
Our monthly take on today’s marketing and communications topics… and a little fun, too.
