I hate to say it, but cigarette companies had it right when it came to marketing.  Remember way back when we were learning how to create fire and inventing the wheel, cigarette companies were still openly advertising through all media channels.  They were blitzing the world with messages that showed their brand, logo and packaging among scenes of totally hip, cool, popular people – often young and attractive – having a blast doing things that we all wanted to do in our down time.  Shooting pool, roping horses, firing rockets out of, attracting women with machismo and surfing.  I can’t imagine how difficult it was to puff on a wet one.

The point is, through all of their marketing they were never really selling a product.  Those companies were selling the lifestyle attached to the product.  That was what ultimately got them in trouble because the message was so damn effective – everyone was smoking because it was the cool thing to do.  Even 12 year old kids.  Not such a great outcome in the long run but they had a solid marketing message.

Skip forward to our current time where my hair is starting to change colors and we can see the continuation of this.  At least we should.

When you’re selling any kind of product or service online you have to take into consideration that people aren’t wholly interested in what you’re selling so much as what they can do with it.  Along those same lines they want to know the benefit of its use, and need to know how their circumstances will change if they purchase it…or if they don’t.

Take a look at the new Apple Iphone 4.  Their new message is powerful.  It’s less about the shiny curves, or the new features, or everything that the phone can do.  They narrowed their message down to how powerful it is, how strong the emotional impact, of being able to talk someone you care about or love face to face over any distance.

A number of agencies get this wrong.  They get so caught up in the actual “thing” that’s being sold that they completely neglect the reason they are selling it in the first place.  Anyone who wants to stand out from the competition has an easy out to do so.  Think about a customer using your service for the first time.  How will they react?  What will it sounds like?

Probably something like “wow”.

Communicate that message in your marketing… unless of course your product sucks, then their reaction might sound something like “Blargh!”

Then it’s probably a good idea to find a more unique spin, or get a new product.

*social media science does not endorse the use of tobacco products – the placement of the above photo is used only for dynamic effect

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