Snorkel Bob Weds Cat (or, be boring and be forgotten) Posted by Aaron on September 22nd, 2008 | Filed under Advertising, Brand, marketing
On a flight to Hawaii earlier this year, I was killing time by flipping through the airline magazine. Between ads for timeshares, restaurants, and rental car companies were about twenty ads for snorkel gear rental. Turns out it’s a big business in Hawaii. Some of rental places claim to have been in business the longest. Others claim to have the best staff, and yet others claim to have the best selection. But, only one ad succeeded in getting me to remember the name of the shop. Rather than focus on the shop’s selection, tradition, or knowledge, their ad’s headline read “Snorkel Bob Weds Cat. She’s a cat. I’m Snorkel Bob. We’re in love.”
Your company is established, trustworthy, and built on a great tradition. You’re experts in your business, you partner with your clients, and you can be counted on. That’s fantastic. But, I’ve got bad news: when in comes to getting your customer’s attention, they don’t care. And, it gets worse: there’s a good chance your competitors feel that they too are all of these things.
When you’re preparing your next marketing campaign, you will likely be drawn to communicate your history, value, or trustworthiness. But, if you do so, there’s a good chance you’re going to waste your money. Why? Because these messages are almost always instantly forgotten by your customer.
What do your customers remember? Companies that show a personality get remembered. So, next time you’re planning your upcoming marketing campaign, take a risk. Show some personality. Your customers won’t forget it.