Have you ever tried to explain your business to someone at a social event, and found yourself using the words 'It's really boring'?
If you're the director of a niche brand that sells dull products or services, you might be all too familiar with the look of confusion when you explain your business to other people.
Not all brands sell slick fashionable products that can be marketed by some unrealistically chiselled celebrity emerging from a swimming pool in slow-mo.
Many fun or interesting products market themselves i.e., the nature of the product is interesting enough to make marketing interesting.
Oppositely, the connotations associated with B2B marketing can be a little bit boring.
Choosing boring is choosing safer/smarter.
But behind the glittery marketing - there's not actually that much profit in fun products. It is of course, as the saying goes - the sexier the marketing, the less money.
Because it is such a desirable side of marketing, too many people want to do it. It's saturated, and far more competitive. But let's step it down a notch on the interesting scale.
If you're a B2B selling something that doesn't exactly scream 'slick' then you might be at a loose end when it comes to marketing it. Your product might be boring, but your marketing doesn't have to be.
Let's look at the kings of boring in the stationery world, and see how they've rainbow-washed a bland product into a viral marketing sensation.
Tipp-Ex-perts at killer marketing
Even the most enthusiastic of stationery junkies will admit that Tipp-Ex is one of the least exciting elements of the stationery world. Let's be honest: However useful it might be, it's dull.
Plus, most of us use digital means to record information now - the classic pen/paper is dying out when we have words at our fingertips.
Why record on paper when we can type information ten times as fast? Why buy Tipp-Ex when we can backspace in less than a second? The age of technological replacement put Tipp-Ex in an awkward position, and its boringness didn't help itself.
But the marketing team at Tipp-Ex knew this all too well back in 2010 when they cleverly designed an entertaining campaign called 'NSFW: A Hunter Shoots A Bear.'
A click-bait title that entertained over 19 million viewers, the ad saw a 30% increase in Tipp-Ex sales, and stirred an avid pot of internet users towards the humble correction fluid.
Not only was the ad silly, watchable, and entertaining - but it was even interactive.
The interactive experience allowed watchers to see outcomes if the word 'shoots' was Tipp-Exed out. The marketing team even surveyed 500 people to see what their most common search query would be if they were to replace the word 'shoot' with something else.
We can all agree that hunters or bears have absolutely nothing to do with Tipp-Ex, yet the brand managed to incorporate their product into the narrative of the story. Genius.
Watch the advert below (NSFW)
Correction fluids aside - what constitutes as less boring?'
Ways to make your product 'less boring?'
People will engage more with your product if your marketing...
- Tells stories
- Uses humour
- Humanizes your brand
Tell a story
Let's start with the basics: storytelling. Your business is more than just a provider of products or services; it's a living, breathing entity with a story to tell.
Share the journey of how it all began, the hurdles you conquered, and the lessons you learned.
People connect with stories, and by humanizing your brand, you'll create a connection that goes beyond the transaction.
Use humour
Who said business can't be fun? Injecting humour into your marketing can turn heads and leave a lasting impression. It's not about being a stand-up comedian; it's about finding the right balance that resonates with your audience.
Whether it's a witty social media post or a clever product description, a little humour can make your brand more memorable. That doesn't mean you have to have your marketing managers running around on stilts or dancing to the latest TikTok trend. It could be sly, witty, sarcastic or clever.
Humanize your brand with engaging content
Ditch the dull and embrace the dynamic. Break free from the confines of traditional blog posts and explore a variety of formats. Engaging videos, eye-catching infographics, and bite-sized social media snippets can breathe life into your content.
Share behind-the-scenes snippets, industry insights, and anything that adds a dash of personality to your brand.
How can we do this?
Market the more relatable side of your brand, using...
- Networking
- Sales
- Interactive marketing
Be present in networking and events
Your leads don't become customers just because of your marketing. People don't buy into the marketing in front of the brand, they'll buy into the people.
Live/experiential marketing humanizes your brand to its fullest, and it will match personality to an otherwise boring product.
Get yourself involved in industry events and build a network of valuable connections. Follow up conversations and stay in touch with your connections.
LinkedIn is a great way to keep all of your connections in one place, and it allows you to uphold these relationships in a less formal digital environment.
Personable sales
Combine your sales and marketing team and make your interactions personable. If your customers get excellent quality service, your product becomes 10 times more attractive.
Fostering these solid connections throughout will ensure that your customers keep on coming back for more.
Interactive marketing on socials
Your customers are your biggest advocates, so encourage user-generated content. Ask them to share their experiences with your products or services on social media.
Not only does this showcase real people benefiting from your product or service, but it also builds a sense of community around your brand.
Or perhaps you need a virtual facelift?
First impressions count, and your branding is often the first interaction customers have with your business. Consider giving your logo, colour scheme, or overall branding a lick of fresh paint.
A visually appealing brand not only attracts attention but it helps you stick out from the crowd of your fellow 'boring' businesses.
Speaking of new branding...
We reckon we're pretty good at it.
Is your business in need of some fresh branding? Or perhaps you need to spice up your marketing campaigns a bit?
We've got a whole range of skill sets and insights built up from many moons of experience. We know what looks good - and we know what's just plain boring.
While we can't promise you'll get 19 million views on a video involving bear costumes and satirical rednecks, but we can promise insightful growth strategies, tea with biscuits, and marketing that won't bore you to death.
