Businesses waste so much time and money in the marketing process. It’s painful to watch because of how incredibly inefficient marketing managers are. However, it’s not always their fault; they are taught that things have to be done in a certain way, that creativity is only for the artists and that there is a set method for a successful strategy. To add fire to that fuel, most marketing strategies today are copy and pasted right from the internet, with little or no thought put into it. Your marketing is broken and not working because your strategy is… dare we utter the words… dustbin worthy.
Think unicorns, not horses
The first step is to fix your thinking. Most businesses want to play it safe but with marketing, you have to do anything but. If you’re a business, it’s safe to assume that you have a competitor; unless you are this brand new niche industry that no one has yet seen, and your market is virtually untapped. Unfortunately for many businesses, in-house marketing strategies are developed based on what everyone else is doing because few are brave enough to go against the grain. But when you look at successful marketing throughout history, while consistency and brand awareness are among the top qualities of a successful strategy, being different is definitely at the top. Successful marketing campaigns have a sense of confidence peppered with arrogance.
Think about Apple’s personality as a brand. They aren’t the guys next door in the tech world; they are the arrogant douchbags that know they are the best thing since the internet was invented. They are a top tier brand and they behave like it. Apple as a personality isn’t a nice guy; they are confident enough to have a strong opinion and change perspectives with that confidence. If Apple was a person, they would drive a McLaren P1 to work, step out in haute couture and only attend galas. While they make Apple feel relatable on some level, they are positioned as the luxury tech company. The devil wears Prada Apple.
Apple didn’t get to where they are by just doing whatever else IBM was doing. No, they went against the grain and rallied everyone around them in doing it. They created a cult brand for technology. They didn’t think horses, they thought unicorns. And the same goes for every single company that has succeeded and aspires to succeed. They went against the grain, and thought about how they would stand out while representing their views and made a statement; and that statement paid off in many ways.
Time to be brave
Now that you understand why bigger brands are so successful, it’s time to put your brave knickers on. There is a reason why the largest and most successful brands are at the top of the food chain, and it’s because they were and are willing to do things that smaller brands that play it safe won’t do. We’re not saying to start a war and instigate anarchy and chaos (although, after the year we’ve had, some brand anarchy might be refreshing), but you have to be brave and take the risks that no one else will. Think about your favourite ads: they are probably something that you would never be brave enough to do, such as the illustrated Red Bull ads that can be quite tongue in cheek, or the Just Eat ads, even the KFC #loveKFC campaign seems to be more captivating than previous campaigns (but we will admit that KFC’s marketing is sprinkled with something special that makes you instantly salivate). Brands that are big and bold survive and thrive through the coldest winters. Will your brand survive, thrive, or die?
Are you ready to be brave? Then it might be time to call in the cavalry and TILT your marketing.
About Désiré Roberts
Brand Consultant @ TILT Creative
Désiré is a senior brand consultant obsessed with brand growth. With over a decade of experience, she has worked with all sizes of companies, from all over the world, across various industries. She’s different because she doesn’t play by the rule book and she loves the challenge of the learning curves of every industry, which has given her an unrivalled competitive edge with an incredible body of knowledge and experience. She’s laser focused, meticulous, ambitious, persevering, and self-driven.
“When you’re a medium to large company, you need a level of authority that’s divergent from the small business sector. The competition is stronger and the stakes are much higher. The same brand tactics will not work; there’s millions of pounds on the line. You have to find someone who is willing to push boundaries and not just think outside of the box, but think outside of the universe. You must change your perspective to play in this ring, else you be knocked out in the first round.
Likewise, when you’re growing a small business, you can’t use the same rule book as the big boys – you have to play the game of your own sector, just better than your competitors. The interesting thing is that not many SMEs pay attention to brand, so just by tightening that area up, you’re instantly in a much better position than your competitors.”
Since you’re looking for someone to level up your brand, you need not look any further; you’ve found it.
Book a call below.