Courage.
Every great success story, from individuals to empires, has ultimately shared one realization: to achieve the thing you’ve never had, you must do the thing you’ve never done. The only way to stand out is to be different.
But that involves risk. Experimentation. A willingness to fail before you fly.
No matter what industry you are in, I guarantee your field is flooded with similar organizations who accomplish similar goals using similar methods. What this amounts to is brand invisibility. When you look and sound like everyone around you, your brand gets lost in the monotonous sea of consumer options. Sure, you’ll likely retain the people who are already loyal to your brand, but you’ll attract few new customers. You might be able to stay in business that way, but you won’t build an empire.
Albert Einstein was right when he said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. But that is exactly what traps far too many organizations in mediocrity. If you want to revolutionize your brand and achieve legendary success, the secret is finding the courage to try something new.
Human beings are by nature creatures of habit. The problem with this when it comes to marketing and brand communications is that predictability breeds boredom which cultivates indifference. The human brain is programmed to forget the things that don’t matter. So if your marketing is mundane, you will be forgotten. And that is the last thing you want.
The reality is that your organization is probably not truly unique. But you can be uniquely memorable.
What makes something memorable, whether it is an appeal letter or a radio ad? When evaluating a piece of creative, have the courage to think outside the box. Ask yourself:
Is it new?
If the information is standard fare or something your customers already know, leave it out.
Is it surprising?
Did something about the presentation or wording catch you off guard? Did it make you do a double take? That’s good.
Is it different?
Has this been done before? Is it something similar to what a competitor or a past campaign has used? Try again.
Is it relevant?
It has to relate somehow to the physical, emotional, or psychological needs and desires of your customer or it won’t work.
If the creative piece is all of those things, then it has a good shot at being successful. And if it isn’t, take note of what specifically didn’t work and try again. But the secret to revolutionizing your brand and achieving legendary success is simply having the courage to try something new. When you’re ready to begin, we can help you.
