Marketing campaigns have a very well established plan on what,
when and how to present a brand or a product to the potential
customers. Every company wants to fully control the process that
determines how the people will see them in the future. Do
YOU think this is the natural way of doing things?
A very strong businessman once told me that "Facts speak
louder than words". This makes very much sense because anyone can
talk, but only the results really matter in the end.
It doesn't matter if your company is a multimillion dollar producer
or a small neighborhood shop. The most important things is to
realize what is the message you are really sending your customers
through your marketing campaign.A lesson on transparency
Morgan Spurlock, known by many for the documentary "Super size
me", had a very interesting idea which he presented during a TED
TALK. He wanted to create a movie in which he should present a
company and its services or products. He went with this idea to
more than a dozen of the biggest companies in the U.S. None of them
wanted anything to do with the movie or with the idea. What
bothered the company managers the most was that they had no direct
control over the information presented in this movie.
The truth is:
1. Companies don't want to be seen by the customers through
their own eyes. They want to educate this perception through the
media channels (and they start very early, since childhood if
possible, when people are very easy to influence).
2. They want to be the best in their field through a repeated
claim or catchy motto, not through the utility and contribution
brought to the customer.
A new approach
Clients are becoming more educated and pretentious. It's about
time marketing implements new ideas and concepts. A good example of
this is Toms Shoes. They have a different approach on what
marketing should look like. The company actually wants to give
something back to those in need. If a person buys a pair of their
shoes then Toms Shoes will give a pair for free to a person that
can't afford it (mostly children from poor families). This simple
idea reduced the marketing costs drastically and created a touching
story that unites people.
What would make you become a devoted customer of a certain
company? Would it be the aggressive marketing campaign that the
company has? Does small proof that they might actually care about
the well being of people help on your perception about them?
Let me know what are your thoughts on this.
