Lambs & Marketers: A Shared Strategy

Lambs instinctively seek high ground so they can see, hear, and smell predators early; it helps them survive.

Brands that correctly identify the high ground not only survive, they strive. They meet consumers’ needs by speaking to them in a way that truly matters … they become the brand that offers relevant and motivating higher-order benefits.

Sheep

The Realities of Identifying the Higher Ground

Yes, this is marketing 101, something we all know. But, I was inspired to write about taking the high ground after reading a recent article: “Tempur-Pedic Rouses Mattress Advertising,” as it reminded me how often marketers actually don’t practice what they know.

The article pointed out bed brands have always delivered messaging focused on “people getting a good night’s sleep;” but, this new breakthrough advertising concept was about more…it was about the importance of sleep and how it affects you throughout the day. In essence, someone finally woke up and decided to talk to consumers about the end benefit that really mattered.

Finding the “right” end benefit requires a keen understanding of consumers’ personal need hierarchy. Some brands only speak to functional benefits which are typically lower on consumers’ hierarchy, and other brands ladder benefits so high they literally develop messaging that is over consumers’ heads in terms of really connecting with the category.

At Insights in Marketing we pride ourselves on helping Clients find the right balance so brands connect with target consumers on a deeper, yet highly relevant emotional level.

An Example: The Right Emotional Consumer Connection

A short while ago we worked with La Quinta who was trying to compete for business travelers with many well-known, chain hotel brands with deeper pockets. Competitors all focused their communication on their comfortable beds, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfasts. La Quinta correctly identified the emotional high ground and is running advertising that suggests a stay at La Quinta helps the business traveler be a winner because they get everything they need to be their best when they stay at La Quinta. Other brands’ functional benefits became La Quinta’s reason-to-believe. And the advertising delivers the message with humor and a personality target consumers relate to. The results to date are all very positive. They own the high ground.

Helping Clients Find the Higher Ground with their Female Target

We believe in the power of understanding consumers’ high ground, it is the essence behind our i-on-Women Division. In an increasingly competitive and (too) often price-driven marketplace we are helping Clients unearth powerful insights that are personal, relevant, and highly motivating. Insights that she cannot, or may not want to, openly articulate that help Clients identify the right emotional territory to mine.  Our FBI ProfilesTM, a Myers-Briggs® like tool, is designed to help Clients better understand their consumers so they can make their brands more relevant than competitors and own the competitive high-ground.

Be more like a lamb; take the high-ground before a competitive “predator” owns it.  To find out how Insights in Marketing, i-on-Women or our FBI ProfilesTM can help your brand identify and own the high ground, please contact our Head of Client Development, Tracy Paukstys.