Seeing what sticks, and sticking to it

Isn’t necessarily a good thing. In fact, it might even be bad, especially if you’re marketing a brand.

As marketers, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the best (and generally most accepted) way of marketing a brand is through advertising.

Over the last five decades, advancements in media have enabled advertising to reach people all over the world. From the iconic Marlboro Man of the 1950’s to the slick Nike campaigns of today, advertising has become the mainstay in modern-day capitalist society.

As a result, brands constantly depend on what is tried and tested, because advertising is familiar territory.

But consumers are changing. They’ve developed a resistance to fluffy marketing tactics. They’ve become smarter and they’re looking for something more.

Consumers have learned to see beneath all the glossy wrapping and are looking for brands that are relevant and connected. If you’re marketing a brand to an audience today, that might just mean having to hop on the social media bandwagon.

Be forewarned though – it isn’t going to be a smooth ride. The bandwagon moves quickly, and the people aboard won’t hesitate to discard anyone who isn’t serious about the journey (such as those who are in it purely for personal gain). On board, you’d be expected to contribute to the growth and well being of its members.

But if you stick around long enough, you’d soon find opportunities to build valuable relationships, discover new consumer behaviours, crowdsource new product ideas, and maybe even open up new markets for your brand. People respond to conversation and chances are, the more you interact with the community, the more influential you’ll become over time.

And that has far more value than you’ll ever get by splashing your cash on the next ad campaign.