You Can't Trust Someone in a Suit

Advertising is not the industry it once was. The days of radio jingles, product placement, and award-winning billboards are over. There is a rapidly shrinking minority of consumers out there that still react positively to pop-up video ads. Traditional, disruptive advertising has been forever lumped in with the dirtiest word online: SPAM.

The rapid growth and explosive atmosphere of online marketing is to blame for this. In two short decades, online communication went from the wild west to Wall Street, and most major brands are still spinning in their seats, sifting through the wreckage of dozens of campaigns, trying to piece together a long-term strategy in a world where "Best Practices" can shift by the hour. I know from first-hand experience, as someone that was in the trenches back when "thefacebook.com" was transitioning into Facebook, and most Tweets were sent via SMS from Motorola Razr flip phones.

In digital communications, by the time an agency uploads their new white paper on reaching Millennials on Snapchat, Snapchat has become Snap Inc. and the Millennials have eschewed their label and splintered into a dozen new micro-demographics.

So what's the real core problem, here? Why can't we nail down a functional strategy to make the internet work for brands, 100% of the time? Or even 80% of the time? Why is digital marketing such a crap shoot?

If you ask the consumers, it's because everyone is trying to sell them something.

The Looney Tunes portrayal of the sociopath door-to-door salesman has stuck around for a very good reason - people hate being forced into a business conversation during their private time. When you rely on display ads, auto-play flash animations, and pre-roll advertising, you are becoming that salesman. You are shoving your foot in the door while someone is trying to catch up on The Bachelorette gossip, or when they're just trying to watch Rachel Ray's turkey soup recipe for the sixth time before their mother-in-law comes over for dinner.

As soon as a consumer knows you're trying to sell them something, you've already lost their trust. Your motive is clear. They know you are only talking to them (or at them) because they have money that you want. And of course, as a business, you should want their money. We all understand that brands want to take money from consumers. It's capitalism. It's beautiful. But consumers don't like feeling like they aren't responsible for their own decisions. They want to come to you, when they're ready. Not the other way around.

So, stop. Put your AdWords spending on hold. Pause your Facebook campaign. Peel that stamp off of that postcard. Take a breather. Close your mouth, and listen. Listen to your consumers - your audience. What are they saying? What are they trying to do, right now? What do they want?

That home cook - the one that's trying to impress his mother-in-law with fresh turkey soup - he just wants a nice, easy recipe. Why not give that to him? After all, if you're targeting people watching soup recipes on YouTube, you must be selling something related to soup, right? Why not give him a 30 second video showing him your favorite Italian Wedding Soup recipe, which just happens to use your company's pre-washed basil as a primary ingredient? Yeah, you're still selling him something, but you're also giving him something. You're giving him the thing he went online for in the first place. And later, when he's at the store and forgets what kind of beans he is supposed to buy, he'll Google the name of that Italian Wedding Soup, and your brand's video will be there for him.

Don't think like a brand, or a salesman. Think like a consumer. Think about what moments drive people to turn to the internet, and create the stories that meet those expectations. Blog about your passions, record videos of your CEO talking about their first experiences with the brand, and fill your website with easy-to-access content that solves all of your consumers' problems.

In today's world, you don't win customers by having the catchiest jingle. You win customers by being the brand that gave them exactly what they wanted without being asked.

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These comments reflect the opinions of Tim Howell alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of his employers, partners, peers, or family members. Opinions or advice in this blog should not be taken as direct recommendations or suggestions. Any statistics, information, or metrics provided are linked to referenced source material, and are not sourced from any current or past clients, customers, or related brands.