Do Not Mistake Flash for Substance When it Comes to Building Your Marketing Messages
By Brian Foster
Last year, I created a team building exercise for my staff. The premise was simple; I would provide a whole host of toppings, the teams simply needed to provide the best bite of toast they could. We had sweet toppings, salty, the entire range to tempt the taste buds. For fun, I added a dragon fruit as one of the toppings. For those not familiar, the flesh of a dragon fruit is probably the most eye-catching food on earth. The problem? It really has no taste; it is all looks with no real substance.
Multiple teams sprinkled on the sliced dragon fruit, even though it added nothing to the taste profile. It did however make a pretty slice of toast. The problem? Not one slice using the dragon fruit made the top three. The top honor went to the boring avocado, because it was made for toast!
Marketers look at viral videos or marketing campaigns and say, “I want in.”
After all, they create the most amount of buzz. If you have ever been to an advertising seminar, chances are you have heard about the Nissan “Dogs Love Trucks” campaign. It won all the major creative awards, and then the campaign was cancelled due to lack of sales.
A great online message must be engaging, but do not forget to make it in your authentic voice. Just about every piece of research will tell you 75% or more of consumers will use the internet to research before a purchase. What they are looking for is your authentic voice in your marketing messages. That is why review sites like Yelp! and Google My Business are critical. Your website tells consumers what YOU say you are. Review sites customers tell who you REALLY are.
So when you go to lay out your next campaign, make sure it’s engaging, but do it in an authentic voice. Do not become obsessed with being that pretty fruit that serves no purpose.
Your passions for your business, also called your “why,” is what makes a great campaign that stands the test of time.
Make sure to check back often, as we will highlight campaigns that use “authentic voices” for brand marketing messages in future blogs.
On a side note, if we’ve piqued your interest, click here to see the beautiful Dragon Fruit!