Working around the roadblock of Choice in marketing
5/19/2022 3:34:55 AM

I was recently talking to an executive at a business about their marketing efforts. I had been consulting with them about expanding the reach of their brand. It seemed like everything I offered was met with skepticism. Every effort to promote awareness of the brand hit the same roadblock - he was uncertain. Finally I asked why he just didn’t move forward and give marketing a chance - just pick a direction and go with it? Any marketing would be better than no marketing at all - which had been a problem for a long time in his company. He said he was afraid of taking the chance and failing. He was so afraid to try anything, he told me he had consulted a friend of his who worked at a pizza restaurant and did their marketing and they were doing things differently than anyone had suggested to him. I asked what he thought his brand and his target market had to do with a pizza brand and their market. The obvious answer was nothing at all, yet he still hedged on moving marketing forward.

It made me think of a Dr. Suess parable called The Zode in the Road

Did I ever tell you about the young Zode,

Who came to two signs at the fork in the road?

One said, "To Place One” and the other "Place Two”

So the Zode had to make up his mind what to do.

Well, the Zode scratched his head and his chin and his pants,

And he said to himself, "I’ll be taking a chance,

If I go to Place One now that may be hot,

So how will I know if I’ll like it or not?”

On the other hand though, I’d be sort of a fool,

If I go to Place Two and find it too cool,

On the other hand though, If Place One is too high,

I might get a terrible earache and die.

On the other hand though, what might happen to me,

Which way should I go? Oh! Please help me see!

If Place Two is too low, just everyone knows,

A person could get a strange pain in his toe!

On the other hand though, on the other hand though,

On the other hand, other hand, other hand though!

For thirty-six hours and one half

The Zode made starts and stops in the path.

Don’t take a chance, you might not be right!

Then he got an idea that was wonderfully bright.

"Play Safe,” cried the Zode, "I’ll play safe, I’m no dunce!

I’ll simply start out for both places at once!”

He started and stopped, he stopped and he started,

He would not choose, all his courage departed!

And that’s how the Zode, who would not take a stance

Got no place at all with a split in his pants!

One of the common complications of marketing is Choice. In our economy, we are used to having a plethora of choices. It is highly unlikely that you can walk into a retail store of any kind and find just one brand of what you are looking for. Outside of supply shortages in the past two years, store shelves typically supply you with several choices. Choice makes brand marketing all the more important because you have to stand out from your competition. But choice can also freeze those who look at marketing much like the game Jenga - where you pull out a block of stacked wood trying not to topple the entire stack. Can you make a wrong move in marketing? Yes! But the worst move you can make in marketing is making no choice at all, which is where my friend found himself.

Let me give you a few tips on how to market around choice. First, always define your target market and find out what they want. What are their needs? Where is life difficult and how can your brand alleviate their pain? Start there. Next, decide what you are doing better than your competition. Promote this. It will help you stand out from the pack. Come up with a catchy but short phrase that defines this difference. Now pick a marketing platform that fits your target market and push your marketing in that platform. Don’t get caught up on other promotions that other brands are doing. If you do what they do, you will look just like them. Your goal is to look different from them.

By all means, pick a direction and then measure your success. Give it time to work. You will know by your analytics if you are gaining new potential customers or not. Don’t get too hung up on the medium. It will likely change as the attitudes of your target market change. In any case, save your pants and the frustration. Pick a direction and move forward.

 

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