Something to Think About

If you’re not getting transformational ideas from your agency or internal client team, you may be asking the wrong question.

Most people in marketing are used to framing questions in terms of communication goals: “We’re losing our ability to command a premium price.  What kind of marketing program can we develop to reinforce our differentiation?”  Ask that question and you’re likely to get an advertising campaign designed to tell consumers how your product is better than the competition.  If it’s a great advertising campaign, it may even have some positive impact in the market.

So ask that question, because it’s a good one, but next time ask this one as well: “How can we use the digital channel to actually make our product better?  What do our customers need that they’re not getting now?”  Don’t spend any time thinking about what your product can do.  Rather, think about the unmet needs of your customers.  Often, you’ll be shocked to find that it’s relatively easy to generate ideas that can transform the way consumers experience your product. 

We’re not used to asking this question because there’s really no way to use traditional media to fundamentally alter the product experience.  Not so in digital.  With the explosion of digital touch points (social, gaming, mobile, out-of-home, desktop applications), it seems there’s always a way to improve the product experience and to fulfill an unmet customer need.

This seems like a simple-minded formula, but it works.  When teams get stuck, often the easiest way to get them unstuck is simply to ask a different question.