Marketing that Matters
In an interview with Seth Godin, he is asked:
How can companies get marketing right?
Godin: Start by understanding that no one cares about them. People care about themselves. Anyone who tweets about a brand or favorites a brand is doing it because it is a symbol of who they are — it is a token, it is a badge. It’s about them, it’s not about the brand.
It costs something to give companies attention and people are not going to give their attention just because a company bought a full-page ad in the newspaper. Commitment is what is required to change minds. We change our minds because we have made a commitment because something moves us.
Over the past year, I’ve found myself increasingly interested in finding marketing that isnt gimmicky, that makes me believe in something.
As Godin mentions above:
“We change our minds because we have made a commitment because something moves us.”
Many are calling this “Storytelling.” The story not only tells us the benefits of a product, but gives us a clear vision of how it will impact our lives for the better. The story helps our brain translate the features and cold facts of a product into a emotional and meaningful benefit. The story helps us realize that innate desire we all have to be better versions of ourself.
What’s funny is storytelling has been at the core of human connection for a very long time, despite the fact that marketing circles are touting this as a NEW and revolutionary way of approaching marketing.
In fact, I encountered storytelling for the very first time when I worked for one of the world’s leading companies as a salesperson. I was told when selling products to people to make it personal and pull from my own experience — tell customers a story of how the product really affects my life. It worked. I found I was able to sell much more effectively when I really believed what I was telling customers.
Now fast-forward 6 years later. I’ve been at this marketing thing for closing on 2 years and I’ve come to find that I’m right back where I was before, telling stories.
Over the past few years I’ve collected a number of things I feel represents marketing that “matters”.
Below is possibly my favorite piece of marketing I’ve ever stumbled across by the brilliant folks at Process Creative, exploring the significant act of passing an object on from one generation to the next.
