Top 3 Habits Of Successful Marketers

In my 25 years of developing marketing communications for many of the worlds' leading brands, I've had the privilege of working alongside many great and wildly successful marketers.  I've seen the incredible value that can be captured when they get it right and I've paid close attention to the way they work.

Here are three observations...

1. Find a claim and stick to it.  Some of my favorites are claims that sound more awesome than they really are...like Trident.  "4 out of 5 dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum."  First of all, what's up with that 5th dentist?  That aside, the real claim here sounds strong... for years I've been asking people to tell me from memory what the Trident claim is and they nearly always tell me that "4 out of 5 dentists recommend Trident."  In fact, those 4 dentists (we don't know how many they surveyed, it could have just been 5) recommend sugarless chewing gum...to patients who chew gum.  When dissected its an incredibly weak claim, but when a marketer claims it in ads, consumers often hear the best possible interpretation of the claim.  Why?  I believe it's because consumers attribute an even greater claim since the marketer is shouting it so proudly and for so long.
   
   Another great method is just like the one I've used in the headline for this article.  Use a claim that is unprovable, one way or the other.  A great example of this is British Airways who have claimed for years to be "The Worlds' Favourite Airline."  Not the most on-time, the cheapest, the best, the fastest or the biggest.  These are all facts, but "favourite" is subjective...and they get to use the extra special British spelling of 'favourite' as an added bonus. 
   
2. Comparisons are a great way to make a clear visual impression, particularly when trying to explain something new to consumers.  If you had to explain a zebra to someone who had never seen one you might say "it's like a black and white striped horse."  Talk about the consumer.  Consumers like to hear about themselves, use stories and examples of how consumers use and like the product/service/brand being marketed. Lots of great examples of this ad for BMW comparing the revolutionary  new i3 vehicle to the invention of the internet.  Clearly they think that the newfangled BMW is a very, very big deal.

1. Swim downstream with an idea that people already accept as understood, true or interesting.  Instead of trying to convince someone to believe something new, marketers can gain trust by starting with an accepted belief or idea and building on it.  Although I personally don't like this campaign, this is what Buick has been doing for a decade. 

Overall, what great marketers do it pick a strong and clear direction, based on common ideas or beliefs that consumers already hold.  They stick with that message over and over and over.

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