Lauren Ackerman, Web Content Specialist
In early 2017, IKEA launched a catalog with the cover tagline, “Designed for people, not consumers.”
And it continued on the inside cover: “Everything we do is driven by the needs and dreams of real people. … We make products and solutions with someone in mind.”
Their message resonated with me. During the almost 10 years that I’ve been immersed in the marketing world, I’ve absorbed a lot of marketing speak. I can synergize channels and target consumer segments with the best of them. I’m a fan of digital and analytics. Qualitative and quantitative data and KPIs are my JAM. And peanut butter.
I prefer precise language, and unfortunately, marketing shorthand is often the most direct route to get my point across. However, I’m beginning to realize that those words create distance between us and the people we are trying to reach.
At its core, advertising is about connecting a need with a solution. And as marketers, we are people, talking to other people. We should be talking about our audiences’ likes and dislikes, not “affinity groups.”
When we create content, if we’re thinking about “customer segments” as if they are numbers in a column, we’re only going to create robotic marketing campaigns – and miss an opportunity to forge a genuine connection.
Case in point: As a digital trend-watcher (translation: I read things online), I’ve noticed that the most engaging social media accounts simply converse and share jokes with their customers like normal people. That’s it.
Okay, some of them clearly have budding comedy writers (looking at you, Wendy’s) on staff. But mostly, it’s just one person talking to – and occasionally roasting – another person. And that’s what makes it great.
This is the new frontier. I’ve finally realized that this is what everybody meant five minutes ago when the buzzword of the moment was “authenticity.”
Social is leading the charge because it’s quickly produced with few layers of approval. It’s something of a “wild west,” and as a result, something AMAZING has happened. Just a few weeks ago, Denny’s jokingly tweeted a photo of a stack of pancakes and called it a distraction from existential dread. Does that seem like it would have gotten through multiple layers of approval? And when this IKEA catalog landed in my mailbox, it really felt like a similar departure from marketing speak, something I feel is less common in print.
In this omnichannel world, it’s imperative to consider the hierarchy of needs of the average cross-section of consumers and aggressively promote to targeted segments to maximize engagement and something something growth-hacking.
Damnit. I mean… when we talk to people like people, everybody wins.
Need some help translating those buzzwords into plain old English? Give me a call at 913.236.2418 or email me at laurena@jschmid.com.
Tags: buzzwords, Denny's Social Media, digital marketing, direct marketing, IKEA catalog, Lauren Ackerman, Social Media, Wendy's Social Media