I have been in the marketing business for several years, and as such am always concerned that I have become indifferent or even numb to all the creative messages that are presented to me during the course of a day. It's not that this is a purposeful intent on my part, it's just that I am asked to evaluate many kinds of creative, both online as well as print and broadcast, and I wonder whether it takes more to move me than your average consumer. I am always intrigued with the creative work of other marketing professionals so a part of my day is spent looking at what others are doing with the critic's eye, to determine if in fact the message that was trying to be conveyed did in fact get through. What did the advertisement want me to do? Did I believe it, or consider that the advertiser seriously underestimated my intellect (I know, this rarely happens). Do you ever find yourself asking the question, “Who in the world were they trying to appeal to?”

I really rely on the opinions of my wife since she is far removed from the marketing world with respect to her career, so when she points something out, I take notice, because, like all of us, she is a consumer. The other day we received a direct mail piece from a new community bank in our area. The message was basically “come grow with us.” What was unique was that inserted in the card, was a flower shaped item that was explained as “organic material that contains both annual and perennial seeds that can be planted.” My wife thought this was very clever and the more I thought about it, the more I agreed. Now this may or may not be a unique presentation but I couldn't get past thinking what better way to be reminded of the bank but with beautiful flowers appearing from your garden! What's more, this is certainly a trendy approach, what with everything going “green.” Now growing flowers in my garden doesn't tell me that this bank has the best products, or can provide me the best service or is even financially sound, yet the brand awareness objective was accomplished, and now when I see other communication from the bank, I will recognize the name.

Taking the time to design a unique, catchy creative approach to your marketing effort can pay big dividends. Based on what you want to accomplish, what your goals are, if it is memorable and well thought out, you should be able to attract your targeted audience's attention. This is imperative since in these multi-media times we get bombarded from so many sources, all fighting to burn their message into our sub-conscience, it would be a true waste of resources to see your effort get lost in the “clutter.”

David Soxman joined BIGSHOT with a motivation to work for a small firm where he could make a difference on the agency side of marketing, helping business owners and managers grow. Learn more about David.

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