When we think back to advertising’s origins, we remember a world replete with fancy buzzwords (ever try to “boil the ocean”?) and nearly zero ways to measure and actually prove that any one tactic was working better than the next. “Precision” came in the form of increased sales (which could have been caused by a nearly infinite number of things) and increased budgets rode on the coattails of how impressed CEOs and COOs were with the creative—a highly arbitrary and subjective exercise.
In short: everything has changed. The consumer finally runs the show—that’s how it should be. Now, a campaign is simply ineffective unless we can demonstrate that people are interacting with what we’ve created. No longer is it acceptable for just the creators and the higher-ups to be pleased with a campaign; for all intents and purposes their satisfaction is nearly irrelevant. It’s all about staying on-brand and creating something that resonates.
Marketing is More than Four P’s
Product. Price. Promotion. Place. Run a quick Google search and brace yourself for a torrent of cookie-cutter marketing jargon. What’s missing: PEOPLE.
Everything we do starts with people. Ourselves included…seriously! Getting intimate with our client’s products and services changes the entire game. Having a truly empathetic understanding of the user experience of a product can completely change the tone of a campaign or piece of creative.
Recently, we took a break from meetings and trade show perusing at WPPI in Las Vegas to get some fresh air and play with Sigma lenses alongside our clients at Sigma Photo. We spent an entire afternoon enjoying their company (with not a meeting agenda or action item in sight) and making some memorable images along the way. We even watched Pro Danielle Rischawy at work as she captured fodder for an informative blog post, Exploring Red Rock Canyon with Sigma Lenses. We’re biased, but it’s worth a read.
Marketing is More Than Telling and Selling
More so than our intimate understanding of what we’re marketing, it’s imperative to get real feedback from real people to inform our strategy and creative ideas from the outset. Getting product into the hands of our core consumer base makes all the difference.
Case in point: Brewer Jen House with the Columbia River Knife & Tool HVAS in hand. She carried it around the brewery for two weeks before we rushed in to bombard her with a hurricane of questions; “DID you like it? How did you find it useful? Did you find yourself using this feature? How about that feature?” Some of her answers were entirely unexpected…and that’s exactly what we were hoping for! (Thanks Jen!). From this foundation, we can build more meaningful creative that relates to the consumer on a much more valuable level.
We have some really exciting all-new ideas rolling out of the creative shop in the next few months. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to see. And if you want to know more about using hyper-local advertising in a smart, efficient way, hit us up. We’ll hit you back
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