The worst argument a marketer can make in a meeting about creative, about ads, about marketing is that something won’t work because it doesn’t appeal to them.
Another way to look at it: I don’t use Pinterest, so why would the target use it. Screw Pinterest.
Another way: That ad doesn’t speak to me, show me something different.
Why are these examples so wrong? Because the marketer is considering herself part of the target when she’s not. As marketers (often egotistical ones) the story we tell ourselves is that we know best, so if it’s marketing that moves us, then it will obviously speak to the target.
This story is a lie.
Just because we don’t use a platform doesn’t mean the platform’s not getting used. Look at MySpace. It has more than 50 million (!) active users on it.
Just because it’s a book we didn’t enjoy, doesn’t mean it won’t make the bestsellers list. More than 600 readers of the book Outliers have taken time to give it a low star review on Amazon, yet it’s still on the list.
Just because we don’t have clunky polaroid cameras anymore doesn’t mean Polaroid isn’t still relevant.
Stay Positive & You Are Not Your Target
Photo credit
- Plan For Strategy, Then For Spontaneity - September 20, 2024
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- Active Resistors - September 18, 2024
