Your Marketing never matters as much as you think it does
I am not saying it does not matter, just not in the way you want it to.
Like my punctuality in writing this did not really matter did it?
You see - I commit to a personal cadence of delivering my monthly newsletter on say the 2nd Thursday of the month. Very few diligent ones would notice this. The truth is, I started prepping it for a Thursday send and then I realised it was only for my benefit to stay true to my own obsessively rigid schedule, and to literally NOBODY else’s benefit. It was an hour before many of us broke for a 4 day weekend, and respectfully nobody needs to know.
Anyway - it is a new week now after some nice Easter sunshine; we are back and raring to go! So here I am hitting your inbox.
In previous newsletters from Front of Mind, I wanted to take you on a journey of the fundamentals rather than stark opinion or conjecture. We have covered what is needed pre advertising with the 4 Ps, (recap : Product, Place, Price, Promotion) then planning your advertising campaign, and considering the use of data and ensuring your plan is futureproof.
Alas, I figured we should take a step back and think a bit on the core messaging and the Modus Operandi of what you want your ad to do, or on an emotive level, make your audience feel. The industry has given way too much airtime to bland formulaic marketing messaging driven by a culture of purpose and virtue signalling!
In the process brands have been clamouring for love from their consumers, with ads delivering promises of a better future and compassion of being ‘by your side’ etc.
But really - it doesn’t add up. Most people don’t care about the ads, or what you’re trying to say (and when) and they can see through the wafer-thing veneer of purpose and benevolence, and the best you can honestly hope for is recall and having share of voice and a potential new customer, which is the whole point!
Don’t take yourself too seriously - have a laugh!
When I wrote Your ads don’t make me laugh. Why not?, I cover some thoughts and some data on the fact that humorous ads have greater recall than these purpose ads. Despite the lack of popularity of levity in recent years, people like and remember a bit of fun. So don’t hold back on being creative and a little light hearted!
Purpose has been done to death
On the flip slide now. In another article I did for NewDigitalAge - Parents – the no-holds-barred focus group, I talked to the not far last retirement age parent of mine living in Lincolnshire, proper middle England demographic. They’re sick of it. BeansMeanzMore (Mum : ‘sounds like a woke tin of beans to me’) and do not believe Lloyds are really by their side at all). Don’t underestimate your audience for sure!
Stay on point
The key point I make here is - despite the need to not be so serious as nobody else is taking it that way, oh and that purpose may be overrated - is to remember the key objective of marketing. It is all about driving outcomes for your organisation e.g. selling a bit more than your competition. This is done by increasing share of voice and share of market. Reaching more people efficiently and ultimately converting them to customers, however light the category buyers are. By, as Boots CMO Pete Markey cites, delivering the holy grail of speaking to the right person with the right message in the right environment and at the right time. Ensuring that your product benefits are clear and what action is needed, and that brand films, despite not being as product-centric, are really speaking to the audience without the bullsh!t.
That is all this time, just keep eye on the ball and have fun with it, because I guarantee your target audience won’t be over-thinking it either!
SA
PS. I hope you are getting a semblance of value out of this. If so, and you think any other marketeer or business owner would, feel free to share/forward this to them and encourage them to subscribe. Also, follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter or my company page Thanks!