We get it. People out there don’t seem to like marketers and everything they do. There is a general assumption that marketers are annoying and pushy at best and exploitative and manipulative at worst. That marketers are the evil by-product of a hyper-capitalistic society with seemingly no morals, little compassion, and much greed.
So why is this the case?
Marketers always have an agenda
Marketers always have a goal in mind. Whether it’s to sell a product or improve the public perception of an organisation or individual, nothing seems altruistic in the marketing world, and this is where perceptions of corporate greed and inauthenticity can come into play.
No one knows who or what to trust
Marketers are the politicians or the car salesmen of the communication world, and every company and their marketing team will tell you that their product or service is the best and stands out amongst the rest. It can be overwhelming and even frustrating to try and alleviate an existing issue or reach for a new product when everything has a layer of marketing on top of it. How is a consumer meant to decipher whether a product is actually impressive or there is merely an impressive marketing team behind it?
People have heard it all before
They say that nobody ever willingly listens to an ad anymore. Consumers are cynical and sceptical, and anything that sounds like an ad is avoided like an ad. Marketing is seemingly everywhere nowadays; in social media feeds when you do your morning scroll, on billboards as you commute to work and on the radio in the office. Marketing is a constant hum; you either hear it and become frustrated or are exposed to it enough to be ignorant of it.
So how do we change this?
Be respectful of consumers’ most valuable commodity: time
Consumers are inundated daily with marketing messages they either do not care about or do not enjoy. This is why effort and energy must be expended to provide consumers with a marketing message that is worth their time, is intriguing and does not feel like an intrusion, and the creative and technological potential is definitely there in marketing to achieve this.
Look after the consumer
The consumer is often left out of the picture and overshadowed by KPIs and sales targets in the marketing process. Marketing must take into consideration the value-add provided by a campaign or advertisement, and this can be done by ensuring marketing is a creative outlet with campaigns that are engaging, relatable and relevant, and people and the consumer are put at the forefront of it at every stage of the marketing development process. The relationship between a company and a consumer is a company’s most valuable asset, and inclusive marketing done well can build this.
Opt for pull marketing instead of push marketing
Rather than aggravating consumers by interrupting them with unoriginal messages or being increasingly tactical about shoving an ad in someone’s face, companies can draw customers to a product or service organically. This approach has the potential to create more loyal customers or clients as they voluntarily seek interest in the products or services that are marketed, creating an immersive customer journey.
For a more personalised, targeted, and compassionate marketing service, get in touch with Cornerstone Alliance for all your marketing needs.
