There are many sayings that get applied to life, but one that gets proven over and over again is no pain, no gain; in life and in business the greatest rewards come when we take a risk. The problem of course is you can crash and burn pretty fast on risk as well. There is a lot of risk involved in the marketing aspect of business; it is due to the large amount of fear that is associated with risk that makes many companies play it safe in the realm of marketing.
Here are some tips and some thoughts to help give you some courage and perhaps make you a little braver.
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Feedback is how we grow – we shouldn’t be afraid of it, even though sometimes it is hard to take. Feedback is one of the most powerful tools available to use for improvement. In constructive feedback there are always areas of excellence and areas that need improvement. It makes sense that companies wouldn’t want their areas that need improvement to be posted all over Facebook. But that openness, that vulnerability, that desire to give your consumers a voice has helped more companies than it has hurt. Trust in the quality of your people and your product and hear what the people are saying.
Why So Serious?
Marketers know that attractiveness and sex sells but humor sells as well. Don’t be afraid to make a joke or run a funny campaign. Allbusiness.com stated, “Comedy is memorable. For those of us trying to make our clients’ work stand out from amongst the rest of what’s out there, humor is one of the easiest ways to gain an audience.” Humor doesn’t make you less professional it makes you relatable. Mark Twain, a funny man in his own right, wrote, “Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.” For your next marketing campaign try to crack a joke or two and see what happens.
If You Don’t Stand for Something….
Blogs are easy to write, it is your message, your opinions, your analogies, your photos and your voice. A blog is not a debate, it is more like giving a speech. Many companies don’t like getting their brand involved in controversy. But sometimes it can be beneficial; companies can have opinions too and if you are smart about it, it can put your brand in a favorable light with consumers. When Chick fil A got involved in politics as reported by CNBC, their “overall brand perception among consumers dropped to its lowest level since August 2010 and is now below the average among other fast-food chains.” In comparison, JCPenney’s bottom line actually went up after it took a stance on gay rights by contracting Ellen DeGeneres to be their spokesperson. In the right environment standing for something can be a positive marketing move.
Sources: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48357258/Gay_Rights_Does_Taking_a_Stand_Affect_Business http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/advertising/3877675-1.html#ixzz26klBMyNy Image Source: http://alysonisneat.blogspot.com/2011/06/just-where-have-you-been-young-lady.html
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