Standing out in a changing marketing atmosphere

Standing Out in a Changing Marketing Atmosphere Mass marketing is certainly a term the general public has come to know – and one we in the B2B and B2C industries know intimately. The approach makes sense: get your name out there to as many people as possible, casting a broad net, so to speak, and you have the most chance of reeling some interest back in. This has the perceived advantage of not only getting word out to the most people, but also to the higher variety of demographics.

Author and real estate buyer Michael Opolski tells us why he disagrees with this approach in a recent blog post. Describing mass marketing as “getting an average idea out to a bunch of average people, and expecting greater than average results”, Opolski says that while this might return some interest, it is ultimately too subject to external and unpredictable factors such as people’s whims and search algorithms.

Says Opolski, “Marketing isn’t about how many times you say something, or spread it around, the dynamic of marketing as a whole has changed so much that people want to like you or at least relate to you in some way in order to follow you or do business with you.” This change is, according to Opolski, in no small part due to developments in online social networking.

In order to stand out in this atmosphere, he says, you need to present why you should stand out and why people can relate to you. One company recently highlighted by Direct Marketing News as showcasing this ability is Tetra Pak. While this example was not competing in the online realm Opolski was keen on describing, his points ring true here, nonetheless.

In marketing their new Dream Cap drink lid, Tetra Pak chose to take a “roundabout” approach to their product. Says author Jason Compton, “Tetra Pak marketers reasoned that if its communications focus solely on the technical merits of the new cap design, potential clients will see the food packaging and processing company as nothing more than a packaging supplier.”

In order to avoid this basic perception and distinguish themselves, Tetra Pak decided to package their own packaging in the story of their desired demographic: millenials on the move and seeking adventure. Using a layered approach to their sample mailer, the recipient is greeted with stages of inspiring slogans, bright colors with ample white space, concluding in a pamphlet reminiscent of an Instagram feed that Tetra Pak hopes its audience will relate to.

Such layered stages before the actual sample product are meant to convey their own story of relatability and jump out among so many samples that are received, albeit in a more tangible form than perhaps Opolski had in mind. Nevertheless, it seems to have proven a success, as according to Compton, after mailing out only 72 samples, “Tetra Pak's campaign garnered more than 500 responses from its target audience.” By any measure, that is certainly a case of standing out successfully.

Opolski sums up his approach to this environment of new and changing expectations well in saying, “I know many people struggle with getting attention or getting leads for their business, we live in a different era now folks, things operate in strange ways sometimes and it is better to understand it and use it to your advantage”.

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