MESSAGING CONT .
>> thinking , ignite a certain reaction , or create conversation . Here are some approaches you can employ today .
FOCUS ON THE FEELING
When I ’ m working with new clients , one of the things I ask them to define is the feeling they want their consumers to experience . For a sweater manufacturer , it might be comfort . For an outdoor brand , adventure is often the target . Have you figured out how you want to make people feel yet ? If not , you ’ re not tapping into humanity ’ s biggest sense of connection — emotion .
As a marketing and communications firm , we want our clients to feel empowered . With that in mind , I can look back at every campaign , every outreach initiative , and every customer interaction and ask , “ Does this make our target audience feel empowered ?” If the answer is no , we adjust .
RAGE-BAITING
Rage-baiting is a hot topic among marketers today . When you scroll through TikTok , chances are you ’ ll see some form of rage-baiting within the first handful of videos you watch . The methodology varies , but this form of marketing tries to pull on the feelings of anger or frustration to get people to interact . It could be something as simple as pronouncing a word wrong , baiting the language lovers who just can ’ t resist commenting a correction .
But sometimes , entire platforms revolve around ragebaiting . Sharing outrageous stories , divulging juicy gossip , making controversial claims that people will inevitability have different opinions on — all of these techniques can be used by marketers , too .
In fact , rage baiting isn ’ t just a social media thing ; it ’ s been around for decades . YouTube clickbait , humorous news headlines , and entire ad campaigns have been designed around topics that get people talking , either because they feel strongly for , or against , those topics .
TAKING A STAND FOR BRAND VALUES
If making people angry isn ’ t the approach you want to center your marketing strategy on but you still want to access the emotional side of consumers , take a stand for what you believe in . For so long , brands were warned against speaking out on controversial topics . Religion , politics , and everything in between was off the table . But maybe it ’ s time to put it back on the table .
Today , 82 % of consumers feel it ’ s important that the brands they support align with their personal values . Personal values can be so different from person to person , making it hard for brands to “ please everyone .” But that ’ s what I ’ m saying — pleasing everyone is impossible . You might as well take a stand for what you believe in and solidify brand loyalty with those who respect your stance .
For instance , if you are a sustainable clothing company , share your thoughts on recent environment-related bills . Fight for what you believe in . Raise money to combat climate change . Showcase your sustainable production processes . All of these things are interesting , and for the right people , they ’ re easy to connect with .
TALKING TABOO
Perfectionism is out ; authenticity is in . Some of the best marketing campaigns are the ones where brands admit their failures or where business owners showcase the challenges of running a business . People don ’ t want to see the glossy , over-engineered attempts to convince them that your business is perfect . They want to see the real side of running a business .
Being a business owner is messy , it ’ s filled with trial and error , and the only thing guaranteed is that you ’ re going to get things wrong sometimes . Own up to that ! Discuss hard product decisions and let customers see behind-the-scenes . We see these topics on a lot of social media accounts run by founders of businesses today , but once-taboo topics can be the core of many different advertising initiatives .
DON ’ T BE AFRAID OF CONTROVERSY — WE ’ VE ALL SEEN IT WORK !
If you still think I ’ m crazy for championing controversy , don ’ t believe me . Take a look at other companies who have benefited from being a bit polarized . And hey , even if you think I ’ m crazy , you ’ re still reading , right ? So maybe controversy does work .
Domino ’ s Pizza
In an iconic move , especially in 2008 , Domino ’ s Pizza completely revamped its recipe after massive dips in customer satisfaction . The campaign that came along with the rebrand was the “ Sorry We Suck ” campaign , and it even featured a commercial with the CEO at the time admitting that the pizza his company made “ sucked .” This change got people ’ s interest , convinced them to try the new recipe , and paid off for Domino ’ s . In the year following the campaign , the pizza chain saw profits double .
Patagonia
In 2011 , on Black Friday , Patagonia placed an ad in the New York Times titled , “ Don ’ t Buy This Jacket .” Most clothing retailers want people to buy their product ,
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