Have you wondered what differentiates hits from misses? Or why you prefer to purchase a particular brand of toothpaste over another despite their qualitative attributes (taste, fluoride protection, breath freshening, tartar control) being equal?
The answer – like God – is in the details.
Its the smallest and subtlest touches which separates mediocrity from greatness. The attention to colour, design and packaging. The way in which the salesperson greeted you at the store. The cleanliness of the washrooms. The scent (or smell) of the outlet.
Nuances aren’t just found in the physical layout or details though. It can also be found in one’s sensitivity to cultural preferences, traditions and morals. Choosing the right ethnicity in the models represented in one’s advertisement makes a huge difference. This is why an award-winning campaign in one market could end up becoming a major disaster in yet another.
Paying attention to the littlest things doesn’t mean disregarding the broad, sweeping strokes of an awe-inspiring or breakthrough marketing idea. Ingenuity and innovation are still needed to stand out from the crowd.
It does however mean that one pays attention to how one’s brand is experienced through every single customer touch point, from perception to consumption and beyond.
The next time you decide to launch a Great Big Idea, do remember that unlike life, marketing does involve sweating the small stuff.
yes, i’m a complete sucker for details like that. the ads, label, branding, color ultimately decides my choice of one product from another even though they might effect the same sort of characteristics when used in the practical sense.