GETTING THE GIRL
How you can captivate the next generation without raising your voice.
Marketing is forever evolving along with our species, much like a thinking ape. As the Millennials are beginning to take over the market, you have to keep in mind the way that your audience is absorbing your message is changing.
Nowadays, people are forever in motion with their eyes directly on their smartphones, tablets and their thumbs are furiously flipping through the endless amount of instant content that is crashing in at all sides. You don’t have to sit through commercials anymore, we now have PVR – and even if a commercial is on, what is to stop us from turning our attention to our phones and checking out something else or playing another rousing round of Angry Birds?
“They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself,” said Andy Warhol (you know, the guy with the soup cans?) – so organizations have to adapt and evolve alongside that. Now more than ever, you have to work harder to get your message across – but the trick is doing it without being obnoxiously loud.
Knowing your brand is, arguably, the best way to do just that.
There is something inherently appealing about the strong, silent type. Let’s use George Clooney for example, he’s a classic example of the strong silent type. Without a major focus on fame, glitz and tabloid appearances – you know just who he is and what he’s known for. You know why directors want to work with him and why production teams wine and dine him into working with them (see: UP IN THE AIR).
“They’re silent not because they have nothing to say, but because they don’t have to fill up the air with words. They don’t need to be looked at to dominate. They already dominate,” explained Peggy Noonan, former president Reagan speechwriter in an interview with Psychology Today. So perhaps, in maintaining our vision of being meaningful without being disruptive and noisy, we want to figure out how to market in a way that allows your brand to pull a Clooney: strong, silent, important, meaningful, sexy and appealing.
They’re silent not because they have nothing to say, but because they don’t have to fill up the air with words. They don’t need to be looked at to dominate. They already dominate.
And not to equate strong branding and marketing to being a handsome, strong, silent man – but bear with me! According to a study by the Daily Mail, strong silent types do, in fact, get the girl. And not because it’s aloof and mysterious to use less words, it’s that men who use shorter words and speak more concisely were seen as more attractive. The same goes for powerful marketing and a powerful marketing plan. Hone in on the good stuff and speak that truth – it’s all you really need.
Isn’t that just the punch? With so much loud advertising and coming in from absolutely every medium available, it’s tough to choose the path less trodden, the path of the strong and quiet who uses less words, speaks more concisely and in doing so can still ‘get the girl’ (in this example, when we say ‘get the girl’ we really mean gain a loyal following of brand ambassadors).
And that’s the kind of schtick we appreciate.You don’t have to yell and try to say everything, and raise your voice above everyone else in the market to be heard, respected or valued. If you choose to work concisely, choose your messaging and you truly think about your vision, mission and values – you can do that, loud and clear, without ever having to be obnoxious. You’re not just going to get one girl, you’re going to get all the girls.
You’ll be just like George Clooney, before he finally married up (leaving millions broken hearted).
But not only by investing in a killer marketing plan will you be able to zero in on those choice words you choose to speak, words that will be mirrored and spoken by everyone in your organization – but your brand ambassadors will begin to speak it for you. Without ever having to raise your voice and compete for airtime, you can truly garner an authentic following – because you’ve chosen an authentic message.
That’s what a marketing plan is all about.
If you want to learn more about specific key elements of an effective marketing plan, read our 50+ page booklet on How to Write A Strategic Marketing Plan That Yields ROI – complete with explanations
