Do you remember that wiggly thing that you jump over at school, can we get one?
Can a blackbird kill you? No. Even if it had a drill?
Oh the random questions my children ask.
Contemplating this mornings round of curiosity, I was struck by how visually descriptive children often are. They want you to ‘see’ what they're talking about, using language which helps you build a picture in your mind.
As a marketer I often advise my clients to write in pictures as a way of drawing the reader into the story that's unfolding.
Why tell, when you could announce, shout, whisper, confess, leak or reveal.
Instead of encouraging your customers to get something, why not offer the chance to seize, pluck, grab, earn or land.
Analogies are another great way of adding imagery to your communications, helping you to explain and position your brand in an easily recognisable way. In the UK, people regularly use phrases such as ‘fish out of water’ and ‘quiet as a mouse’, but every country will have it's own variations on this theme.
So, next time you're writing copy, challenge yourself to use language which helps your reader to immediately identify with you, or should I say, publish a blueprint your readers can easily follow.
How many adverts have you been exposed to today? How many do you remember?
As a marketer, I'm pre programmed to read messaging, ever hopeful of finding a pearl in the sea of mediocrity (a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean).
This week I was rewarded for not automatically hitting the pause button as soon as the ad break started, by a rather unexpected source of inspiration - Wall's sausages. Watch below.
This is great advertising because it ticks so many marketing boxes.
1. Engage your audience
The first job of every marketer is to grab the attention of those who are likely to buy the product and encourage them to keep reading, watching and finding out more. Only then, can any selling begin. Cue cheeky chappy voice over, suburban setting and all important wallsie outfits. Two seconds in and we're hooked.
2. Tell an authentic story
This ad pitches the Wall's brand as the everyday choice. In under a minute it depicts seven easily recognisable characters, (uk based because that's the target market). Like a mini soap opera, each personality type is dressed in the all important wallsie, uniting them in the brand and entertaining the viewer in the process. Genius.
3. Opens infinite channels of communication
Now that we're all clammering to join the wallsie set, Wall's have a fabulous opportunity to use this concept as a real product - linking on and offline marketing. Think tradeshows, competitions, social media, blogs etc. A Pinterest page of sausage photos has limited appeal, but the wallsie has endless possibilities.
Giving the old onesie trend a new twist, encourages audiences to think of Wall's as a brand that understands what makes people happy. Wall's becomes a friendly, down to earth, good spending decision, rather than a typical food manufacturer and to show your appreciation you can now join the community on Facebook, Twitter etc (ideally while wearing your wallsie).
4. Differentiation from the competition
Name three sausage manufacturers? Most people would be struggling to answer, but in this advert, Wall's have given viewers a reason to remember them. Their storytelling and entertaining visuals, make sure the audience is rewarded for their watching time and links the brand with a feel good factor, worth talking about. As a hook for the brand, the wallsie now provides instant recognition and differentiates them from the competition at the same time - pleasing investors and buyers alike.
5. Great content sells
People buy from people and by creating a personality around the Wall's brand, this ad makes sure they're top of mind the next time you're shopping. Great content makes the product desirable and accessible to the audience, by building emotion and trust. Getting your customers sharing the message on your behalf, (over 7,000 viewers on youtube in its first week of posting) is marketing gold.
So, will I be rushing out to buy Wall's sausages? At this point I should probably confess to being a vegetarian, but I've written this post in appreciation, so in my own little way I'm contributing to their empire.
Has any great marketing grabbed your attention this week?
Once upon a time, all a brand needed was a website, a shiny corporate brochure and a stand by the food concessions at the local trade show. This trinity reassured shoppers that you were a legitimate business and helped them to trust you enough to part with their hard earned cash. But that was many moons ago. Now content, (anything you create or share to publicize who you are and what you do), is king and brands need a personality. Eek!
So, what's your story?
Hint 1 - Your story is NOT about you
Yes it should convey what you stand for and what makes you unique, but it has to be communicated in a way that shows what you do for your customers. It's all about them. Your aim is to make your audience care. Drive empathy, inspire them, build an emotional connection. These are the things that prompt action and create a sense of urgency about the sale. Dollar Shave Club is a great example of storytelling in action (https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/)
Hint 2 - Your story needs to resonate with your audience
It's not just what you say, it's how you say it and where you post it too. Think about the audiences you're trying to reach and craft your content to match their lifestyles. Portray your brand as the antidote to their problem, using language they would typically use, in a format which will be most appealing to them.
The devil really is in the detail, so make sure your imagery, typography, colours and layout attract and are suitable for the channels you're using. Example? A funky young sunglass company, based in New York, realised that their audience couldn't always wait for even next day delivery and so the vending machine for sunglasses was born http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/first-vending-machine
Hint 3 - Start with a big idea, then get layering
Red bull make an energy drink to perk you up faster than coffee, but rather than dwell on the ingredients or the recyclable packaging, they focused on what their customers might do in their new caffeine fuelled state. The resultant stories have made this brand synonymous with extreme sport and daredevil antics. This little Austrian company, which used to sell drinks, is now a TV, record and radio producer, sports agent, game maker, app developer, events creator and so much more - worldwide. Red bull drinkers supply much of the content directly to the company. No wonder they've sold over 40 billion cans of fizz. Watch their storytelling below and tell me you don't feel inspired.
Now, grab a blank sheet of paper and get answering
Nowadays we expect organisations to act like people. The faceless corporation is long gone and even the dullest product line now needs to ‘meaningfully engage’ with it's public. Oh the pressure.
So how human is your company?
If your brand were a person, would you be attracted to it?
If a customer could only see your logo, would they recognise who you are and what you do?
With the global adoption of social media and the recognition that people buy from people, successful companies are working hard to show their personalities, build emotion and convey the most appealing, human traits. For example ...
Humour
Virgin Atlantic 'little red'
Quirkiness
Ace hotel, London
Sincerity
Pret
Understanding the lifestyle of your audience is key, as you consider the humanity of your business. Remember your aim is to appeal to your target customer, which is different from trying to please everyone. Think about what emotions you're trying to convey and how they fit with your ideal customers view of the world.
Does your company have a virtual smiley face? Make it easy for customers to choose your brand over the alternatives available and be memorable for all the right reasons and the customers will follow.
According to Benjamin Franklin “if you want something done, ask a busy person”. He may well have been talking about a marketer or indeed a whole marketing department.
Though I work with organisations of all shapes and sizes, in this age of constant communication, I've come to the conclusion, that all marketing departments now fall into one of three categories of ‘rushed’.
Treadmill rush
These groups are driven by fear. They feel they can't afford to switch off in case they fall behind. That risk of not being able to catch up again, means that they're likely to be the only ones with 20 days holiday still to take on the last day of the year. Other symptoms include the compulsion to reply to an email that woke them up at 3am.
To do list rush
It might be an excel spreadsheet, a computer monitor smothered in post it notes or a series of panoramic white boards ramping up the pressure. To do list marketers are driven by achievement, although they never really stop to enjoy their success because there is always something to add to the list and there are never enough hours in the day to complete everything.
Put out the fires rush
I recently spoke to a head of marketing, who had brilliant ideas for their product line but never got round to implementing any of them, because of all the urgent things which ate the well meaning hours of each day. Such marketers are driven by the need to control, though their hurry blinds them from making any real progress. Sound familiar?
In truth we all have our moments in each camp. We won't stop being busy people, but we can take steps to make sure our efforts are more fruitful.
Know what you're trying to achieve by understanding what success looks like in your company
Is it a certain number of leads by the end of the quarter, a capacity crowd at your next webinar, a 100% positive rating on ebay? Set goals for your marketing so the rest of your business understands your contribution. This also helps justify your time and budget spend, when multiple projects are competing for your attention. If you aim at nothing, you're bound to hit it.
Make time to stay up to date
There's something new to learn every day, but the good news is we're all struggling with the same volume of content (email, social media, press, events etc.) and no-one knows everything. Set up google alerts for those terms and phrases you really need to stay on top of. Log articles to your reading list (that little pair of glasses icon on your dashboard). Bookmark pages and download ebooks. Anything that helps you self educate, will make you feel more confident and efficient.
Make marketing a business driver not a cost centre
What are your company objectives this year, or even this quarter? Measuring your marketing so that you can show how you're supporting the overall organisation, helps colleagues and customers alike. Every social media tool now comes with analytics and even the simplest website can provide a host of metrics. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it, so take control and see where your time is best spent.
If you're still struggling, remember Neil Young once sang ‘it's better to burn out than fade away’. Perhaps he was a closet marketer?
Since waking up today, I bet you've judged strangers, chosen one brand over another, skimmed your favourite website and ignored at least one email. Why? We humans are a fussy bunch, each with our own opinions, built on our life experiences to date, or maybe just what side of the bed you got out of this morning.
We've made up our minds, don't confuse us with the facts
We rarely question why we buy one product over another or what makes us take the risk on something new. Companies spend millions every day, building brands that make us feel something and trying to influence our spending decisions in their favour. They know that customer perception can make or break their business, but it's easy for employees to forget they are the brand when they attend meetings, make presentations or populate that twitter feed.
Know the brand, be the brand
The 21 minute video above, adds science to the universal truth, that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I must admit that I watched it with some scepticism at first, but having tried it myself and referred it to several friends, I'm now convinced that Amy Cuddy is onto something. In this video, Amy shows that our body language not only influences others, but can also affect how we see ourselves and that's the revelation.
Do you meet my needs?
As we make our daily choices, we often weigh up the pros and cons based on what we believe to be true. So, next time you want to influence someones decision about your brand, consider how two minutes of posturing could change your outlook and therefore your success.
Watch the video above to see WestJet airlines, a Canadian low cost carrier, playing Santa to their customers. I challenge you not to have a warm fuzzy feeling by the end and surely that's what Christmas is all about.
Who knows how much this ultimate marketing stunt may have cost, but let's look at the benefits.
1. Surprised and delighted customers
What a story. An experience like this gives customers something to tell their family and friends. They want to talk about you and will continue to share the unexpectedness of this experience for a long time to come, both off and online.
2. Loyalty
If you were one of the passengers on this flight, how keen would you be to book WestJet again? I'm guessing they'd be your first choice. It's human nature - someone does something nice for you and you feel the need to reciprocate. Beyond this though, the WestJet brand has just given itself a rather wonderful personality, helping customers to link it with generosity, imagination and heart. Fabulous differentiators, especially in a market where choice is often dictated by price.
3. WestJet team building
Watching those WestJet employees take a break from their normal routine, to rush round a store buying and wrapping presents, you could tell they were having fun. Everyone felt part of the passenger secret, and proud to work for a brand which was exceeding all expectations. Often marketing is so focused on gaining and retaining customers, that it forgets the employees who make it all happen. This event will also be shared by employees, keen to show how they helped deliver Christmas.
4. International visibility
I live in Scotland which is rather a long way from the Calgary based WestJet. Had they not performed this act of genius, I might never have known they existed, but now I do. We spend so much time trying to get eyeballs on our content, clicks on our links and engagement on our social media and this five minute youtube video has now been watched by almost 30 million people worldwide. Quite a return on investment.
