Sacrilege!
But let’s just do some critical thinking about the value of sending christmas cards, or making christmas specials when every other business in the english speaking world is doing it at the same time.
Standing out from the crowd and saying something different is what draws attention to you and your business. And making a stand that others are unwilling to make draws people in. It generates interest. It forces people to want to know more. To see if they agree with you or not.
Take the headline right there at the top of the page. It flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I mean, every business right now is sending out promotions to coincide with the dominant conversation of the day.
Tapping in to the dominant conversation of your prospects and customers minds is very wise business practice. It’s been a basic principle of advertising throughout the ages.
When everyone is thinking about the football grand final and everyone is talking about the football grand final, it’s a great idea to tie your product or service in with that big event. IF…
…and only if, it’s appropriate to your target market. Believe it or not there are groups of people who don’t give a flying fig about the football.
The big problem with this tactic is that when everyone else is doing it – you end up just blending in with the same old, same old. Because all your customers are having it thrown at them from every direction.
How many times have you received a post card in the mail from a company you’ve done business with in the past – with no offer and no call to action? Just a nice note tell you they are thinking of you.
I don’t know about you, but my reaction to this is to file it immediately in the round file. Mentally saying to myself “WHATEVA!”
The point of advertising is to sell something. Not to create warm fuzzies. If they actually made me an offer relevant to my needs at christmas time they at least stand a chance of getting me in. Advertising must have a measurable ROI.
So how do you get into the dominant conversation without becoming bland, boring and irrelevant?
There are any number of ways to do it. But let me share something with you to get the juices flowing. Steal it if you want. But I suggest you come up with your own version because it’s important to keep things relevant to what you stand for and the message you want people to receive.
One way to get some attention at Christmas time could be to create an “Anti-Christ Sale”. You could tell your customers the devil made you do it.
Of course for some people that sort of thing won’t go down too well. It will drive some people away. They will find it distasteful and will no longer do business with you. So it needs to be a calculated move. Based on real knowledge of your market. On the other hand it will attract some people. They’ll find it humorous and trust you more because they will feel like you get them.
Another approach is to ask yourself “What else is happening at the same time of year that everybody knows but no one is willing to talk about?”
For me at Christmas that screams SOLSTICE!
We all learn about the summer and winter solstices at school. But who talks about the Solstice at Christmas? Again it’s got to be a calculated move based on real knowledge of your market. And has to be in line with who you are and the stand you make as a business.
But it will stand out. It ties in beautifully with the dominant conversation. You just have to mention some history on where Christmas really comes from (there’s a reason Solstice is so close to the Christian celebration). And you get to make a stand for something. For me in my business that’s about keeping things real and honouring the planet that supports us.
I firmly believe business holds the keys to creating a better world, but it can never be ignorant of three basic principles;
- Care of the Earth
- Care of People
- Return of Surplus to aid the former two
Standing out and making a stand for somebody and for something doesn’t just apply to Christmas or the football grand final. It’s something you do all the time. I personally have refused potentially high paying customers because they were not a clear match for what I stand for. Namely helping eco and social savvy business out-sell and out-smart those companies who don’t care for their impact on people or the planet.
And it must as I said be a calculated move. Something your ideal customers will resonate with. Speaking of calculated moves… how would you know what your market will resonate with? Research. And a great place to start your research is by taking advantage of the free offer you will find on the right hand side top of this page.
Consider it a gift from me to you to celebrate the turning of the seasons, and to remind us we are all governed by the forces of nature. And that father Christmas was started as part of an advertising campaign to sell more Coca Cola. A stand out example of entering the dominant conversation and taking over the minds of the market. Like it or not.
Remain Awesome.
Scott Junner
The Unlikely Ad Man
P.S. The spirit of Christmas (and of the Solstice) is sharing. Wouldn’t it take a bit of stress off to remember that rather than get caught up in the buying of stuff just because that’s what we are told to do?
Leave A Reply (1 comment So Far)
Roger Savage
80 days ago
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Scott. You’ve certainly added value and had me think about how I can find new ways to do the same. It’s so easy to just follow the accepted norm, but it’s having the courage and strategy to be different in a positive way that attracts and retains customers/clients. A happy summer solstice to you and your subscribers (of which I’m now one).
Cheers, Roger