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MARKETING: Colorful marketing, conservative corners

In business, taking chances often necessary

By Jennifer McCarron

The local corporate culture can be summed up in one word: conservative. And, that is by no means an insult. Our acceptance and appreciation of navy suits, standard procedures, and respectful practice make Bloomington-Normal a wonderful place to live and work. We are grounded in tradition and geared toward cautious business practices.

While navigating these conservative seas, it is essential for business leaders to understand that when it comes to marketing efforts, cautiousness is often the anchor that keeps you from moving ahead. The average consumer encounters 3,500 marketing messages each day. In order to be effective, you’ve got to get in front of your targets, command their attention, and then persuade them effectively. How are you doing with your efforts?

If you’re like most, you tend to avoid “outside the box” marketing tactics because of unknown opinions and impacts. Your image is on the line, and you don’t want to be the one to push the envelope. You don’t want to seem too confident, too pushy, or too different. And, certainly, you don’t want to offend anyone.

Unfortunately, by taking care not to offend a minority of the population, we often fail to attract the attention of the majority. We table tremendous ideas and support safe options. Are you guilty of watering down your marketing efforts? If so, it’s time to shake you from your conservative coma. Marketing campaigns should never be tacky, but they must be profit-driven and designed to both capture and motivate your market.

Starting today, take notice of advertisements – all around you – that grab your attention. What is it that makes you notice that particular ad? Was it the look, feel, tone?

You’ll notice that good ads have creative elements, such as humor, to attract attention. And, yes, this market does indeed have a sense of humor! Kurt’s Autobody Repair Shop in Bloomington offers us a great example with television commercials that feature non-conventional “accidents.” One memorable ad shows a couple having a romantic evening when suddenly their car is hit by a giant asteroid. When Kurt’s “Accidents Happen” tagline appears, you can’t help but smile.

Another effective attention-grabbing method is the use of non-traditional outlets to convey your marketing message. We tend to forget that there are many more marketing opportunities beyond traditional television, radio, and print campaigns. In New York, Folgers coffee developed a unique campaign that featured pictures of coffee that were placed on steaming manhole covers all over the city. The pictures had slits for the steam to pass through to give the illusion of a steaming cup of coffee: one you would be literally stepping into. They included a caption that read, “Hey city that never sleeps. Wake up. Folgers.” Can’t you just smell the sales brewing from that campaign?

While McLean County may not have many manhole covers available for advertising purposes, there are still plenty of opportunities to creatively promote your business using non-traditional methods. Offer customers incentives for sporting your bumper sticker, advertise on the sides of your company vehicle(s), and consider partnering with others who are also seeking unique exposure. Who knows, maybe the city really does want more park benches, perhaps they just need someone to sponsor the effort?

Think about fun ways to turn standard promotions into outstanding profit makers. Instead of overdone, underappreciated holiday cards, consider celebrating the first day of spring. Send your good customers and/or prospects cards, flowers, and information about your refreshing new services for the season. Forget about the sorry, old open house and host unusual events such as scavenger hunts or Hawaiian luaus to foster fun and unforgettable moments.

Keep the creativity flowing with your Web site which enables you to extend all marketing efforts. Make sure it is a good reflection of your company and offers valuable information for visitors. Give them free tips, trends, opinions, and links. Know that utilizing e-mailers is the marketing tool of today, not the future. And, make sure to regularly update your site with new items to keep customers coming back for more!

Remember that within the doors of each company lies a new story that is just waiting to be told. Utilize press releases to tell your target market about your one-of-a-kind equipment, your unique employee, or your recent changes and growth. You’ll find that our local media members are very helpful and appreciate newsworthy information!

While we may be in the conservative corn capital of Central Illinois, we are certainly far from Kansas. There are many colorful ways to create our marketing campaigns, professional agencies that can help, and much market share to be gained. Be tasteful but bold in your pursuit of profit!

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