Media Business is the industry and market formed by companies operating in and across different mediums, main ones being but not limited to internet, television, newspapers, magazines, radio, cinema, and outdoor.
A media company is any business that communicates to large audiences. What they communicate is information, news, entertainment, advertising, messaging and cultural stories. When the content behind media is delivered in a repeated and compelling manner, it starts your target audience on the “A-Path (Attention – Attraction – Affinity – Audience – Advocacy).” What company or brand would not want to take their target audience through the stages of the A-Path?
Brands and companies need to strategically think about and provide continuous great content to their target audience. Great brand content is defined as the intersection of what a company wants to say and what the target audience wants or needs to hear. When brands succeed in providing great content, they start to build an emotional connection with individuals of their target audience. Doesn’t every company or brand want to accomplish that?
Media companies plan a calendar full of content to drive continuous “tuning in” from their target audience. Every company and brand wants to be top of mind of their target audience. And having a rich and compelling content calendar full of great content (as defined above) is the best way to stay top of mind of your target audience.
So what is stopping you from reaching greater business success from thinking and acting like a media. The advent of digital platforms, social media, and blogs allow every company to be a publisher and mimic a media company for their own benefit.
(Hint – it really is not a trend, but rather what successful businesses have done for decades.)
How were your marketing results in the past year? Do you actually know or are you making assumptions?
Assumptions kill marketing efforts! And starting communication and running ads without a strategy kill the degree of success all businesses experience relative to what they think they can achieve.
There are endless content pieces on “marketing trends for 2024.” Some are truly innovative and can lead to increased success. BUT unequivocally, if you don’t initiate sound, basic marketing principles, 2024 is going to be another “meh” year for you.
I would like to focus on the front end and tail end marketing endeavors that MUST be done to drive business success.
FRONT-END MARKETING
You need to put in the time upfront to truly understand a) your target audience, b) your value proposition to that audience, c) your product/service positioning, d) your competition, and e) point of differentiation in the marketplace.
All these areas I would label as marketing strategy. I have been marketing for well over 20 years as a consultant and leading marketing organizations. It still astounds me how many executive leaders expect marketing spend to start immediately with execution. I can’t even count how many times smart business leaders have said to me, “you mean I need to spend that much time and money before we even do one ad, send out one email, do one social post …”
If you want to drive strong results – the answer is YES!
Have you explicitly researched and tested who you’re talking to and what you are saying? Or are you living in a myopic world driven by a top decision maker that knows better than everyone else? Do you really want to bypass a marketing strategy playbook that has been proven to be successful for decades?
TAIL-END MARKETING
What does successful marketing look like? Awards for creativity from associations? Incremental revenue and profit? At the end of the day, which is more important to your business? And assuming that your answer was the second option (revenue and profit), how do you know that marketing drove that success?
Too often, marketers attribute the wrong variables and outcomes. More and more people claim sales attribution to their endeavor to the point that splintered organizations each claim X-amount of sales attribution summing to hundreds of thousands of dollars of sales when the actual company sales total is substantially lower than the total of all the claims. The reality is that most consumer/client sales conversions are achieved by a consumer/client journey where each “gate” in that journey plays a portioned relevance to the sales conversion.
Have you mapped out what that journey looks like? Do you have a method for capturing the outcome for the various sales journey gates and evaluating the magnitude of success for activities and execution of the various gates?
SUMMARY
So while I myself do keep up with new suggested marketing trends that drive greater business success, I always evaluate them on two factors:
Do they align or are they applicable with behaviors and practices of my target audience, and
Do they drive incremental profitable business or are they just the “next shiny object being hyped.”
If you really want to drive business success in 2024 and forward, make sure you are doing so with sound proven marketing approaches BEFORE you latch onto the next trend anyone has recommended.
I bring to you the compilation of my #SundayThoughts posts of 2023 …
I am active on social media mostly offering guidance and thoughts on marketing and cannabis. In the beginning of the year, I wanted to get a bit of topic and offer some inspiration. Inspiration for you, me, and everyone. Inspiration to yield better quality of life for all of us – professionally and personally. The posts were directed at you and me. Complete transparency – sometimes when I found myself in challenging times I reflect and think about what I need to do; how I need to change my perspective and carry on in a more positive mindset. I would write the post to me and re-read several times to let it sink in. So, some of the posts were aimed at the public and some were aimed at me. This is what I mean by “for you, me, and everyone.”
I am proud of the collection of these posts that were published on Sunday, so we all had some positivity to start the week. I offer for you a compilation of my #SundayThoughts posts …
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“The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard.” ― William Hazlitt, Selected Essays, 1778-1830
This week, I posted something that created quite a vociferous debate. The greatest problem was that most wanted to get their point across and there was little listening. So, in respect to the quote above, I failed.
Maybe I was wrong in my approach – I stated something provocative to incite debate. And it did accomplish that. But my real goal was to motivate a conversation that would lead to a solution – a solution that brings compromise from both sides.
So I reflect and learn. When we try to spawn positive change, the delivery is equally as important and the substance we present.
When you encounter challenges and setbacks, how do you endure?
As many, I have had my share. I have reacted, or not acted at all, in many different manners throughout different periods in my life.
I can tell you with completely certainty, the best way to deal with YOUR own challenges and setbacks is to HELP SOMEONE ELSE. Nothing makes you feel better and gets YOU back on track.
It seems counterintuitive, but nothing changes your mental state better and faster.
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“With gratitude, optimism is sustainable.” ~ Michael J. Fox
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Success comes from dreams, belief, passion, and hard work.
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If you need help, just ask. Why do so many of us find this to be so difficult?
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“I think things come into our lives to help us get from one place to a better one.” ~ Ted Lasso So to you, my friends on LinkedIn, thank you as I continue to [always] evolve and grow.
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Last year I posted this same wording, and I am sharing it again, because NOTHING could be more important to me … The best title I have ever held is “Dad.” Happy Father’s Day to all who hold the same honor.
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“Learning is not a one-time event or a periodic luxury. Great leaders in great companies recognize that the ability to constantly learn, innovate, and improve is vital to their success.” ~ Amy Edmondson
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Power vs Leadership
So many headlines these days should make one reflect on the differences of power and leadership. Far too often, power is a facade for leadership.
Amplify leaders and leadership.
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Support. Often, giving your time is more impactful than giving money. Lend a hand.
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Challenges in life either make you stronger or weaker … and YOU get to decide which.
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No matter what your professional level or number of years of experience is, consider the following approaches to yield strong business results and value to your organization (not to mention professional growth):
1. Have a positive attitude 2. Take criticism well 3. Practice self-motivation 4. Learn from your mistakes 5. Develop strong communication skills 6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions 7. Be adaptable 8. Be an effective teammate 9. Pay attention to detail 10. Be solution-oriented 11. Demonstrate a willingness to learn 12. Display honesty and integrity 13. Practice active-listening 14. Demonstrate leadership abilities 15. Develop organizational skills 16. Practice critical thinking 17. Perform regular self-evaluations 18. Be creative 19. Show kindness and empathy 20. Be reliable
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Why would anyone treat an employee any differently than they would want their own son or daughter to be treated by an employer?
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Sometimes, it takes just one more try. Why would you want to cheat yourself of the possibility?
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Who Are You?
“… authenticity identifies a person living life in accordance with their true Self and personal values, rather than according to the external demands of society, such as social conventions, kinship, and duty.”
So is being inauthentic more disappointing to self or those that you touch?
The word “authentic” seems like it is over used – especially in marketing, branding, networking, and social media. We look for authenticity in people we engage with, brands we support, people we follow on social media. But maybe be authentic to self is most important.
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Some people win at the game by bringing the best out of people. Some people (try to) win at the game by bringing the worst out of people. Who do you want to work/play with?
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“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”~ Carl Gustav Jung
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Challenges in your life either make you stronger or weaker … and you decide which.
{Yes, I posted this again … it cannot be said enough.}
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One of the greatest feelings is to make it to the other side of challenging times. But the outcome is often not what you initially wished for, expected, or not even what you could envision. And yet, it will still feels most rewarding. Keep driving forward.
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Since the early days of COVID, I have been on a mission to turn more into the person I want to be. By my definition. By attributes that are important to me. This started as a realization that times were changing, and it was time for my deeper evolution.
This past week has been a time of personal assessment and reflection. My journey is far from complete. It has been both difficult and rewarding to have complete honest discussions with myself.
I don’t mean to impose my point of view of you. I share these thoughts with you only suggesting that similar self-evolution might be beneficial and most rewarding to you.
Are you the person you want to be? What needs to change to be that person? How do you need to start to evolve to be the person you want to be?
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Supporting Someone Stressed
This past week I had a conversation with someone that was very stressed.
When this happens to someone you genuinely care for/about, most of us just want to take away their angst. It most cases, that is impossible. So, what do you say or do?
I think you call it exactly like you see it without sugar coating anything while remaining extremely supportive.
Here is what I said after they shared with me what was stressing them out …
“That makes sense. Anybody would be stressed. Take it, embrace it. Get stronger, grow, and be you – that is great.”
Be there for someone else.
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Personal and Professional Growth
Growth – the act or process, or a manner of growing; development; gradual increase.
It takes determination and strength to grow.
Determination – firmness of purpose; resoluteness.
Strength – the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure.
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We need to learn from our past but not be set in our ways.
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Ponder this … What do you want to be known for? How are you going to accomplish that?
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Are you successful? Have you made a positive change in anyone’s life?
Are you successful? Have you made a positive change in anyone’s life?
This week, Adam Grant provides a bit more on “highly successful practices of successful people.”
1. They seek discomfort. 2. They set a mistake budget. 3. They ask for advice, not feedback. 4. They figure out which sources to trust. 5. They strive for excellence, not perfection. 6. They are their own last judge. 7. They turn the daily grind into a source of daily joy. 8. When they’re stuck, they back up to move forward. 9. They teach what they want to learn. 10. They open doors for people who are underrated and overlooked. 11. They engage in mental time travel.
Whether you are looking to create change or drive business growth, doing so with community involvement will yield synergy and strong results.
The past few years have been challenging for just about everyone to varying degrees. Individuals have “experienced deteriorated wellbeing and mental health after the pandemic outbreak, especially in life satisfaction, meaning in life, positive feelings, depression, anxiety, and self-harm/suicidal ideation.” (Source) Statista reports, “While it is difficult to tell exactly what the economic damage from the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been, it has had severe negative impacts on the global economy.”
And the pandemic has not been the only negative event that has impacted our society. Growing ideological disparities exist and have created extreme partisanship to the point that we are no longer a group of “United” States, but rather a society of fighting factions with a dysfunctional government.
We all share challenges and the ONLY way we will solve these challenges is to accept disagreement and work towards mutual solutions so that we can all share a better quality of life.
We need to build and work as a community!
“Community – a unified body of individuals: such as
the people with common interests living in a particular area
a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society
a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests
a group linked by a common policy
an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (such as species) in a common location”
Building and engaging in communities creates an emotional bond from your target audience to your brand. It is the opportunity to provide authentic content and communication that reinforces your commitment to your target audiences’ lives.
Many people view platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn as their online community. But how comfortable are you with the fact that your online community controls what content shows up in your feed?
I currently work in the cannabis industry. One of the major concerns I have is the shadow banning and other controls in place to block reference to and content regarding cannabis. And it is not just an issue of blocking content and users. These platforms use algorithms to determine what you should see in your feed to optimize their business objectives. But you should also know that, as a marketer, I rely on these platforms to get brand content and communication to target audiences.
In 2023, you need to start engaging with your target audience in alternative, niche online communities. These could be interest-specific platforms (like Leafwire for cannabis industry professionals) or specific groups (like the Digital Marketing Group on LinkedIn). Niche platforms not attract a targeted audience by focusing on a specific topic but they also deliver a sense of intimacy and authenticity.
I suggest you consider starting a community or participating in a few such that you can attract, engage, learn from, and influence people that are your target audience and/or are like-minded individuals. If you want to change a situation, whether that be changing industry operating procedures, increasing sales, or any other business motivation, connect and engage with targeted individuals where open conversations and content flow freely.
When I say 2023 is the year of Community, this is not a prediction. It is a need. We need to unite to drive positive change. Establish or join a community that promotes something important to you or your business. Focus on unified objectives and activities. Work collectively to solve problems that exist. I promise you that working with others to increase quality of life and building a better economic future by participating in a community is more rewarding than selfies.
And here is one final closing thought – having a community is stronger than having a target audience. Having community members is more powerful than having loyal customers, because they not only are repeat customers, but ones that believe in your brand and share that with others in their lives.
As a marketing exec for over 25 years, I have worked with numerous PR agencies from large, well-known ones to smaller boutique ones. In all cases, I experienced the same results – overpromises and under performance. I cannot think of any other instance where the outcome is not in line with the cost.
As I have started a new position in corporate marketing I am looking to increase brand awareness for the company I represent. Earned media is one of the best ways to achieve this and thus, I have started my search for a PR agency to help in this effort.
I put out a message on two private marketing networking groups I am a member of stating, “I am looking for a PR person (or agency) that is willing to work on contingency (as opposed to retainer). I am willing to pay per interview and additionally per publication.” The company I work for has a very promising future as we have a solution that truly delivers value and solves real issues in cannabis supply chain operations and marketing to consumers. While we have a strong future ahead of us, we run as a lean company with limited, but adequate funds. Given my experience with PR agencies, I decided I would only pay a PR agency for performance.
The responses I got to my request from various people on the private marketing networks were not a surprise ….
“Pay for pay on interviews doesn’t work and if I’m being honest, undervalues the role of a PR professional.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I heard this, Steve, I’d own a yacht! When working with a PR agency, my suggestion is to find one that’s already immersed in the industry. I turn down clients all the time simply because I am not as invested in the industry.”
My response – “maybe there is some truth behind what I said given you hear it so much. Maybe the PR industry (as a whole – not you) over promises and under delivers. Maybe it is time to rethink a model that has been around for decades and is challenging for potential clients. Not saying that I nailed what the model should be. In any event – thanks for the conversation.”
“I’d be very leery to work with an agency that works on contingency. It’s asking someone to work on the hopes of success and payment based on that success. I’d be curious to see what sort of responses/results you get with this type of arrangement.”
My response: “But how is ‘asking someone to work on the hopes of success and payment based on that success’ worse than paying someone on a retainer in hopes of success? This is the exact challenge I have found in working with numerous PR agencies – over-promise and under-delivery.”
“This kind of arrangement diminishes the PR team and can lead to contention. Perhaps you haven’t worked with the right PR team in the past. There has to be a foundation of mutual trust.”
“Most good agencies tend to not work on contingency. The risk factor is too high and it’s not like a pay-per-lead business as it must include very specific factors. I would be careful on working with an agency that works on contingency as they might try to get quick but weak wins and ask for a payment … ”
My response: “what constitutes a ‘good agency?’ Like I said, I have worked with agencies that on paper are ‘good’ or are well known that people would say ‘are good’ but they have under delivered. Most of the comments on this thread have come from PR Agency people that have told me I should beware. Maybe I am suggesting something that is radical. It is worth continuing conversations. This email trail reminds me of the commercial that I often see on TV from the investment firm that highlights they only get paid when their customers do well.”
One person did respond to me, “if you find anyone regarding your PR request- feel free to pass them on to me as well…thanks in advance.” I asked this person to follow up and let me know about their experience, to which they replied, “Same – 5-10k monthly retainer, and let’s go…I sometimes look at it the other way – if you are really good at getting desired press – charge more and change the model.”
I have workedin the marketing profession in many different industries. Many companies in these various industries have had to morph based upon consumers and clients changing perspectives and needs. Companies that do not change with the times get left behind and no longer succeed.
I believe that PR agencies are now facing this fork in the road. Too many companies feel exactly the way I do – what did we actually get for a retainer of $5-10K per month for the past six months?
Don’t you think it is time for PR agencies to hold a greater responsibility for the outcome of a paid contract with them? If yes, I see no other alternative than a contingency contract.
When you write a blog post, do a podcast, record a video, what is your purpose? Are you trying to provoke “a feeling?” Is there a desired “call-to-action” you want individuals to take? Do you actually think about this before you start writing/recording?
These are key questions that must be answered as you decide to invest time and effort into content marketing.
A key question I always ask people as I coach them in content marketing strategy and execution is, “What is the takeaway of the content?” Takeaway being a key fact, point, or idea to be remembered.
This is very similar to my approach on raising my children – I don’t want to tell them what to do. I want them to realize what to do.
So every piece of content you produce should start with two questions:
“What am I looking to accomplish?” – gain brand awareness; reinforce brand or product value; get the target audience to sign up; etc.
“How do I want people to feel after they have consumed my content?” – motivated, inquisitive, empowered; etc.
Now use your creativity to drive the takeaway objective without explicitly stating it. This reminds me of my days in B2B technology marketing. We would write “white papers.” The format of a white paper is 1) state a problem, 2) state the solution, and 3) softly imply your product/service provides the solution with a differentiation from that of your competitors. 95% of the white paper content is objective formulating of the problem and solution. 5% is subjective and recommends “we have the best solution for you.” The content is compelling to your target audience because it is very soft and subtle on pushing your agenda.
So whether you are a marketing strategist, a content producer, or hybrid of both, approach content production as a three step process:
Explicitly state your desired content takeaway.
Use your creativity to imply (as opposed to explicitly stating) your desired outcome.
Once your first draft of content is complete, review steps 1 and 2 to make sure the content has a high likelihood of being compelling to your audience and successful from a business perspective.
Let your audience have that aha moment because they came to the realization!
Brand communication is “the combination of activities that influence customers’ opinions of a company and its products,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary.
Proper brand communication requires a process that truly aims at the stated objective – “to influence customers’ (or potential customers’) opinions.” Are your company’s content producers, social media managers, and performance markets really accomplishing that? Do they even know what the brand stands for? What the brand’s voice is? And do they reflect that in the blogs, posts, and ads for your brand?
DO YOU WANT TO RUN YOUR BRAND ON HACKING OR STRATEGY?
In the past decade, marketers have been too shortsighted and many have had an over-focus on “growth hacking” in lieu of a solid long-term marketing strategy that yields successful results in good and bad economies and over a life-time-value provided by their target audiences. As stated in the article, “Is Growth Hacking Dead? The Truth About Growth Hacking in 2020:”
Today, it is the role of a marketer to find the right channel, place, and platform to target people in the most cost-effective ways. If short-term growth is the business goal, it’s the marketer’s job to help strategically recommend the most effective way to get there.
Marketing is no longer just a revenue tactic. It’s not just about reach and frequency — and it’s not just about click through rates either. Modern marketers are interested in tactics like lifetime value (LTV), customer acquisition costs, net promoter scores, and much more.
Today, the concept of marketing is more holistic, where marketing, sales, support, and product teams need to be aligned. Modern marketers need to be proactive learners, quickly adapting to new tools, methods, and market trends.
It is not that growth hacking is a bad activity, but in most cases the growth hacker efforts are not integrated with the overall marketing strategies. I have witnessed far too many companies that have a “paid media specialist” that posts ads without the guidance or collaboration with brand, product, or content managers.
IT IS ALL ABOUT BRAND COMMUNICATION
So let’s dive into the holistic brand communication strategy and plan that WILL yield sustainable, long-term success for companies/brands.
Brand Strategy
What is a brand strategy?
A brand strategy can be hard to define but encompasses:
What your brand stands for.
What promises your brand makes to customers.
What personality your brand conveys through its marketing.
Here are three things every brand needs to define:
The brand is at the core of it all. You cannot have a successful product/service, content plan, and communication execution without a solid brand definition and position. “The goal of brand marketing is to link your identity, values, and personality with communications to your audience. Essentially, your brand is the bridge between your product and your customer. Brand marketing is not just about putting your logo and business name in as many places as possible and expecting to generate sales. Many times, the importance of brand marketing gets overlooked, as it takes time. Many marketing departments are focused on short-term goals, rather than nurturing long-term goals that impact the entire business, like building a brand.” (Source: https://blog.rebrandly.com/what-is-brand-marketing/)
Product Strategy
So you believe you have a strong product or service for a defined target market. Your next step is that you need a positioning statement that succinctly defines your offering. Here is the product positioning statement:
For …………….………… [target customer]
Who ……………….……. [key qualifier – form]
Our product is a ….. [product category]
That provides ………. [key benefit]
Unlike ………………….. [main competitor]
Our product ……….… [key point of differentiation]
This positioning statement is for internal use only. It is not explicitly communicated. The positioning statement should drive your content and communication plan. All content and communication should support and reinforce the product/service positioning statement.
Content Strategy
Your content strategy is the intersection of the brand and product strategy coupled with your target audience behaviors, needs, wants, and motivations. You should lean more to what is compelling to your audience than pushing your own brand agenda. Your content strategy objective is to get your target audience emotionally attached to your brand.
I have written an extremely detailed content strategy playbook that can be found here:
The series provides the following:
Content Marketing Goals and Objectives
Determining your Target Audience for Content
Leveraging Your Brand Position to Produce Compelling Content
Social Audits to Drive Content Marketing
Messaging Strategy Before Content Strategy
Developing a Content Marketing Strategy
How Do You Know Your Content Will Pay Dividends
Content Marketing Metrics
The Power of Orchestrated UGC – (User Generated Content)
Earned Media – Finding Influencers to Distribute your Content
What Does It Mean to Produce Data Driven Content?
How to Determine Which Content is Driving Success for Your Brand
Communication Strategy
How many articles do you read that tell you that you need to have social media presence, to blog, to produce videos, to do podcasts, etc? Yes, it may be beneficial to do these things, but I strongly suggest you have a communication strategy that points to the types of communication and platforms you need to participate in. The communication strategy should be driven by your target audience behaviors – the platforms they are active on and how they are influenced. Understanding your audience behavior will drive you to a communication plan. Your communication methodology must include a plan that utilizes owned, earned, and paid media. It also needs to address the use of original, curated, user-generated, and influencer content.
Customers with an emotional relationship with a brand have a 306% higher lifetime value and will recommend the company at a rate of 71%, rather than the average rate of 45%. (Motista)
80% of customers gradually gained loyalty for a brand over time, due to experiences with excellent products, service, reviews, advice, etc. (InMoment)
About 50% of loyal customers have left a company for a competitor who was able to stay more relevant and better satisfy their needs. (InMoment)
82% of customers feel more positive about a brand after engaging with personalized content. (Demand Metric)
60% of loyal customers will purchase more frequently from their preferred companies. (InMoment)
Emotionally-connected customers will spend an annual sum of about $699 with a company, versus regular, satisfied customers who will spend an annual sum of only about $275. (Motista)
Loyal customers spend 67% more with a business than new ones. (Thanx)
CONCLUSION AND HELP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
Brand communication is key to audience development and gaining an emotional attachment from that audience – work through all the upfront work and see results.
If you would like further guidance on brand communication, checkout how I can help you and your company/brand – read this one-pager, and reach out to me.
Right to the point – killer creative briefs make the difference between a great marketing campaign and anything less than that.
Rhetorical question – are you satisfied with anything less than great?
Let’s first get some simple definitions on the table.
“A creative brief is a document that informs the creative approach and delivery of new marketing or advertising campaigns. It connects the requested creative work to the broader business goals by clearly outlining the strategy of the campaign.” (Source)
These 7 steps give you the foundation for writing a creative brief, but what does it mean to have a killer creative brief. I would say all these steps are important but there are three key elements.
First and foremost, it is imperative that you have a deep understanding of your target audience. This means understanding their desires, motivations, and needs. Highlight these areas when you describe the target audience. Give your creative team a detailed description so they can truly envision who they are speaking to.
The next key element of a killer creative brief is having a clear definition of the objective of the campaign and potential challenges to accomplish this objective. Explicitly state what you want the takeaway to be from the creative output. Understand there is a difference between a “takeaway” and what is explicitly communicated. (See Understanding “The Takeaway” is Key to Great Content for further information.) The takeaway should detail how you want the target audience to feel; what actions you want them to take.
The third element is truly understanding your brand. By this I mean the “Why” of your brand as Simon Sinek so keenly emphasizes. Also, understand your brand’s voice – specifically the brand’s persona, language, tone, and subject matter. Here are some examples as they apply to the brand voice:
In summary, there are three imperative elements to killer creative briefs.
Deep understanding of the audience the marketing campaign is meant for – provide knowledgeable detail to your creative team.
Define the objective of the marketing campaign – do not try to write the copy for the objective, but rather detail the takeaway of the objective.
Understand and stay true to your brand – continually reinforcing your brand identity, values, and voice will build long-term success. Switching these characteristics for a specific marketing endeavor will cause confession and mistrust from the intended target audience.
Yes, all of the seven steps from HubSpot’s guidance as mentioned above need to be included, but the stellar definition of the three key elements will definitely be the difference between a killer creative brief and one that is just OK.
You can find a number of Creative Brief Templates here.
I have often stated that marketing is the psychology of business. If I want you to buy a widget from my company, I would be best equipped to understand you. Understand what turns you on. Turns you off. Your wants, needs, and concerns. What are your motivations? That is why empathy (the ability to understand and share the feelings of another) is so important.
For many years, the psychology of marketing has been broken down into five principles to help us better understand human behavior to attract an audience to brands or products/services.
Reciprocity Principle. The belief that if a brand does something good for you, you are more likely to return the favor, and have increased commitment in the future.
Information-Gap Theory. When someone has a gap in their knowledge in a topic that interests them, they will take action to find out what they want to know.
The Scarcity Theory. Humans place more value on the things that they believe to be rare, and place a lower value on what can easily be accessed.
Social Proof Theory. People trust products more when they know others who can validate their value.
Loss Aversion Marketing. Most people would prefer to avoid losses compared to acquiring gains.
Now these five theories are well documented to help us better understand how to get people interested and emotionally attached to a brand. But it is time to reassess how to effectively market your brand.
Think back over the past year of COVID and the impact that the virus has had on our mental state. (I do not mean to ignore the tragic losses many people have suffered as a result of the virus.) The CDC states, “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children.” ) If we look at the baseline of everyone’s mental health prior to COVID compared to COVID one-year in, almost everyone’s mental health has diminished due to an increase of stress and anxiety. Just about all of us are facing challenges and struggles.
Behavioral psychology is the study of how people act when they’re limited in the ability to interpret the world around them. How do we interpret the world around us these days? How well have we all interpreted the past year. We are tired of the current condition and crave a different mindset, looking to a return to a more “normal” lifestyle.
Brand leaders must be cognizant of this human condition and tailor their brand communication accordingly if they want to be successful in these challenging times. Look at the theories above. How many actual people do you think you can emotionally draw into your brand following these theories?
I would argue, people are looking for hope and happiness, and if they can find it, they will follow that path. Brands need to communicate hope and happiness.This is not a new approach. After all, Coca-Cola has focused on “delivering happiness” for as long as I can remember. Two of the hallmarks of Coca-Cola marketing is “Brand over Product,” and “Remaining Relevant.” (Source: https://www.insightsforprofessionals.com/marketing/leadership/coca-colas-4-most-powerful-lessons-in-branding).
“Brand over product” and “remaining relevant” – I would suggest these brand qualities are pinnacle as all brands’ audiences are suffering mentally. While I would not suggest changing your brand story (as consistency is king, another Coca-Cola marketing staple), I do encourage that brand communication offers messages of hope and happiness for one reason and one reason only – that is what people crave today. Another approach to make people feel good can be accomplished showing humor in these challenging times as M&Ms has done.
You will create emotional ties to your brand if you provide reasons to love the brand – specific to what your target audience needs given their mindset. And I would say that EVERYONE needs more hope and happiness in their life after the past year. Are you inspiring positivity in your brand communication?
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