Don’t silence your differentiators
It’s not often a commercial makes me laugh, rewind and encourage others to watch.
That’s exactly what happened when I saw this ad for the Google Pixel 3, the company’s latest phone model. The ad features several shots of people trying to squeeze in together to take selfies and the common problem of everyone not fitting in the photo.
Everything about it made me smile – from the choice to use Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge” as the background music (subtle, yet brilliant) to footage of actor Will Smith being included when he – gasp, a celebrity! – was struggling with the same issue as us normal people.
Identifying pain points
The new phone uses dual, front-facing cameras to help users take wide-angle selfies. No more “squeezing in, holding a selfie stick or asking someone else to take the photo,” according to Google’s YouTube page.
I fell down the rabbit hole and watched two more commercials: “Flip to Shhh” and “Top Shot.” These highlight additional features of the new phone allowing users to simply flip over their phones to silence ringing and alerts, and the ability to pick from a series of photos to find the best shots (no more closed eyes or blurred movement), respectively.
If it sounds like I’m doing an ad for this phone, I’m not (admitted iPhone user here, though I’m being targeted with Pixel ads as I type). But what Google nailed are the common pain points of cellphone users, whether that’s the dreaded feeling of interrupting an important event if your phone goes off or cutting off a family member’s head in a group photo.
Identify and market your differentiators
Determining and promoting your differentiators are critical to your marketing and communications efforts. Those are often how the team here at Chartwell Agency starts conversations with new clients, regardless of how they’re using our services. We also talk to existing and long-term clients about these issues, as products, programs and audiences change through the years.
Obviously, with cellphone advertising, you’re marketing to a huge audience. About 95 percent of Americans now own a cellphone of some kind, according to the Pew Research Center. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a product nearly everyone owns or targeting a niche audience – your marketing efforts should set you apart, and we can help.
If you’re a healthcare organization, what technology, services or staff make you special? In the financial services arena, what service line do you offer that would make someone switch banks or enlist a financial adviser for the first time? If you’re a school, why should families select you?
If the answers to these questions don’t have wow factor or convince you personally to make these choices, it might be time for a new strategy. We can help with that, too.
