Creative Marketing Conference

Devoted to sparking new ideas, this creative marketing conference provided a wealth of information designed to improve marketing strategies. The focus was on unleashing creative potential and trying new things, as well as capitalizing on time-tested methods.

I attended this conference on behalf of Brook Group, participating in the following sessions:

• “Marketing Strategies that Rock — Lessons from the Real World”
• “Pump It Up! 12 Creative Results Boosters”
• “Wow ’Em — And Sell ’Em — With Words: Make Your Copy Shine”
• “Which One Did the Customer Choose (And Is That Your Final Answer?)”
• “Functionality Meets Fun: Standing Out While Staying on Target Online”

During the introduction, the speaker quoted Albert Einstein, who once said, “I have no special talents; I only have passionate curiosity.” This relates to marketing because anyone can be creative and come up with unique and successful solutions. You just have to be willing to experiment. You also have to follow up on your ideas, no matter how ridiculous or difficult they may seem.

Three different types of marketing people exist: those who make things happen, those who watch what happens and those who wonder what just happened. To stay on top of the game, you must have a plan of attack and the tenacity to carry it through. Deciding which tactic to use requires research and common sense. Most importantly, driving business requires action.

One of the speakers listed six key ingredients to effective marketing:

• Clarity
  Be clear about the benefits of your product or service and be specific.
• Cleverness
  Push an emotional button, using love, humor, torment or intelligence.
• Common Sense
  Tell your audience what you want them to do.
• Targeting
  Market to those people likely to buy, those who benefit most from your product or service.
• Tracking
  Monitor the effectiveness and ROI of your campaigns.
• Testing
  Find out what’s working and what isn’t and change strategies when need be.

Many examples were given of creative (and highly effective) marketing strategies. For example, Smart Foods dressed women up as bags of popcorn and handed out samples before the product ever hit the shelves, resulting in a distribution shift. AFLAC also used this tactic, inventing an annoying, yet memorable duck, instilling the brand in people’s minds and getting them to ask for the insurance by name. Victoria’s Secret founders wrote all over the sidewalk with chalk, telling passers-by that “from down here, it looks like you need new underwear.”

Coke was a prominent example of smart marketing because of their strategy in the Soda War. As Pepsi and Coke compete in the bottled water market, Coke launched a chat room where health experts discuss the benefits of distilled water rather than spring. To further drive the point home, they ran an ad featuring a bear urinating in a stream, reminding water drinkers everywhere what really happens with spring water.

Despite these successful approaches, one speaker maintained that outbound calling and direct mail remain the most effective means of marketing, delivering the highest response rate. For direct mail to work, however, they must get past the envelope.

To do this, he recommends hand addressing and hand stamping whenever possible, since it becomes more personal and in turn, more interesting. Always make sure there is a return address. You can even write “open me” on the envelope. Don’t use bulk mail and if you’re able, make the envelope 3D. Put something worth having inside. If you expect a reply, include a business reply envelope.

One such direct mail campaign consisted of a postcard with a picture and testimonial for a product. It displayed a brief URL that directed visitors to a unique landing page designed to replicate the postcard. On this page, the benefits and features of the product were listed. Most importantly, it contained a compelling call to action to buy the product, linking to the e-commerce site where the product could be purchased.

The main mantra in marketing is: “Find out what your customer wants and give it to them.” The focus should always be on the customer. This comes into play as marketing materials are written. Avoid using “we,” “our,” “our company,” etc. Copy should be directed straight to the customer, using “you” and “your.” Always approach copy with the intent of explaining how something affects them.

What you sell is not what customers buy. What do real estate agents sell? Houses. What do people buy? Homes. The speaker used the example of drill bits. He needed to hang a picture and wanted a certain sized hole. At the hardware store, he didn’t want a drill bit. He wanted a hole. The drill bit was the solution. Provide your customers with a solution.

He also had an excellent point: when one company offers something, it’s a benefit. When everyone offers it, it’s a feature. Don’t advertise your features. Drive home the benefits.

Good marketing requires knowledge, honesty, enthusiasm and sometimes, humor. You’re not “attracting prospective customers,” you’re trying to reach people. To do this, you need to be up front, genuine, excited and informed. People respond to these characteristics, as well as basic human desires, such as love, wealth and security. You must motivate them to take action.

It’s vital to target your audience and research them extensively. When determining who you’re directing your campaign toward, you need remember that your ideal audience member is someone with the desire, money and authority to make the purchase. Don’t waste your time and money marketing to anyone else.

On a more personal note, the last session of the day was about online marketing. I signed up for this seminar largely to learn what I may be missing in my approach. I learned a thing or ten. As the final presentation began, I interjected with helpful information and was prompted by the speaker to share more. As I shared my knowledge, the speaker began to take his own notes, encouraging me to go on. I spoke about the new methods and techniques that we currently use and offer to our clients.

Walter Lippmann once said, “When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.” Essentially, that’s what creative marketing is all about: daring to go outside the lines, forge a new path and take a chance. To unlock your creative potential, simply open your mind.