Rule 5: Stand out from the crowd
Don’t be afraid to be different. People like, and respond to, character and individuality. Why? Because our brains are hard-wired to seek out novelty.
Eight in 10 marketers believe creative effectiveness is one of the most influential factors in the overall success of both B2B and B2C campaigns. And research suggests that creative ads generate 4x profit by driving both short- and long-term sales.
Create something unique and impactful
In today’s competitive marketplace, being different from other brands, looking and feeling unique, and doing things differently are smart strategies to capture attention and gain a competitive edge. So actively pursue creativity in the way you convey your messages and project your brand to push boundaries.
For example, have you seen Starling’s ‘The Bank Built for You’ campaign? It challenges everything you thought a bank ‘should‘ be. A voice from the radio invites you to imagine what sort of bank you would build if you were starting from scratch:
- One that offers interest in both personal and joint accounts?
- No fees on business accounts?
- Financial education for children to help them manage their money?
- Access to customer service agents 24/7?
As Britain’s first digital bank, Starling is on a mission to bridge the gap between the customer, their finances and technology. And this creative ambition is carried through into everything it does. The result: pre-tax profit rose by 54.7% year-on-year and the bank boasts more customers, using services more often, continuing to deepen their relationship.
If you insist on sticking to the standard, tried and true methods of marketing, your business can’t grow. Your customers are constantly evolving to demand new, innovative experiences, so explore new ways to connect with them. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new channels, formats, technologies and messaging strategies, to find out what works best to better engage them.
Differentiation elevates your brand
Over half (55%) of brand first impressions are visual. Therefore, be sure to develop a brand that looks, feels, and acts differently from others, to catch the attention of potential customers. It’s only when you challenge the norm and embrace a dynamic approach to marketing, that you create a more memorable impact. When customers find a brand that offers a unique experience or product, they form an emotional connection and are more likely to stick with it.
This emotional connection is seen as being 52% more valuable when compared to a highly satisfied customer. And yet it’s a massive, untapped opportunity as only 1 in 10 customers feel that brands are forming emotional bonds with them.
By enabling you to carve out a unique position in the market, differentiation can also enhance your brand’s perceived value. When your brand stands out from the competition and/or operates within a niche, you can tightly align your offering to your customers’ wants and needs. This instantly makes your brand more desirable, which allows you to charge premium prices, driving profitability and growth.
Differentiation is the key source of innovation because when your brand strives to be different, it constantly looks for new and creative ways to deliver value. However, innovation isn’t something that can be delivered by one department alone – just as marketing cannot be effective unless the whole organisation is on board. Therefore, to keep your brand fresh and relevant, ensuring that it continues to meet the evolving needs of your customers, it requires a collective effort.
