Marketing is all about capturing people’s attention. Catchy phrases and edgy advertising helps to do that. But too often creativity gets in the way of the real task of marketing, which is to help people remember your brand name, believe you have great products and services that will solve problems, and buy from you. How often have you watched a very creative video for a product that really catches your attention, but 30 seconds after you watch it, you cannot remember what they were selling? It may make you laugh or it may connect with you on an emotional level. However, if it doesn’t help you remember the brand, what it does or how it solves a problem for you, it is not doing its marketing due diligence.

Now I am not suggesting that you throw out all creativity in your marketing – far from it! Creativity does help sell if you use it in the right way. One of the best ways to do this is to name the solution to a common problem. The name should be witty and beguiling, something that is easy to remember and unique. It is helpful if it is descriptive of the solution to the problem. For instance, let’s say we are marketing winter boots. What is a common problem people have when walking in boots in the winter? They slip and fall. What if there were boots that had a special anti-slip tread that held firm when walking on ice or snow. In marketing this boot, we could call it a number of names that would be descriptive of its anti-slip feature, such as the Slip Tracker, the Ice Buster, the Snowplow, the Icy Gripper, the Clingons (for you Star Trekkies), etc. Any of those would be a name that would indicate a solution to the problem of slipping on ice in your boots.

The real marketing trick is to get this brand name - the answer to the problem - in the common vernacular so that people use it to answer the question, "What can I do about this problem?” Think about relieving everyday aches and pains. What would you use to answer someone who said they needed a pain killer for a headache? Would you offer them a Tylenol? If they sneezed, would you offer them a Kleenex? These two brand names have become the answer to the pain and runny nose questions. Tylenol is the brand name of one kind of acetaminophen and Kleenex is the brand name of one kind of facial tissue. Work towards making your brand the answer to the problem.

How do you start? First, figure out what the common problem is that your product or service fixes and make it a part of the advertising you do. Identify the problem and then name your brand the solution. Next, find out where people with the problem are located and promote, promote, promote! ID the problem and name the solution in your advertising. Put it on your web site. Make T-shirts, posters, banners, etc. Put it on your POP displays and your packaging. The more people see your solution-based brand, the more they will remember it. The more it comes to mind, the more likely you are that it will become part of their answer to the problem.

How do you know when this is working? You know you have succeeded when your customers begin to commonly ask for your product as the answer to the problem.