I know this is maybe not the best thing for someone in marketing to say, but I think the relevance of advertising is quickly declining. Now, don’t get me wrong; there’s still a place for effective SEO, creative strategies and conversations with customers, however perhaps the best marketing for your product is (brace yourself) to start with a good product. The design, quality and reputation of items on the shelves have never been so crucial.
Look at it this way. You could spend millions on advertising and you’ll still get Craig from Castlemaine lambasting your product or service on Amazon, Facebook or a Google review. Your product needs to say what it does on the packet and do it well, or the world will hear about it.
Perhaps we need to take more of the budgets reserved for advertising, and devote a little more time and energy on the product’s development. That means not only creating a product that performs well, but is also created with the user in mind.
And by that, I don’t mean making ergonomic pens for ‘feminine, small-handed’ ladies only:
Because you’ll get reviews like this:
What I mean is no-nonsense good design, leading to a product that is easy to use, easy to care for and easy to love. Oh, and doesn’t insult your target audience, obviously. It also pays to listen to your customers when developing your products, as this drill design goes to show:
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What better marketing strategy is there than having a customer’s grandchild using the same product? We still get daily use from a pair of kitchen scissors that my grandparents bought decades ago, and we have already fought over who will get which ancient baking dish in the inheritance.
There is a trend towards paying a premium for better-built, longer-lasting products. If it’s hand-hewn or limited edition, all the better. We’re hungry for authenticity, quality and stories behind products once again. Plus, creating things to last can only be good for the environment, our non-renewable resources and our souls.
There are Reddit threads devoted to sharing the best long-lasting brand names and products with others.
The vast majority of those brands have been going a long time and will probably do so into the foreseeable future. Who would you rather be – the Thermos/Dyson/Rolls Royce, or the temporary and forgettable player in the market?