Have you owned your business for so long it’s hard to continue to come up with exciting ideas? Do you lack marketing knowledge and/or creativity? No judgments there, but hey, I can’t help you fix what you can’t admit. The thing is, potential clients can smell halfhearted attempts from a mile away. As a society, we are also getting ever so keen on in-authenticity. Being genuine and creative is the only way to be both impactful, and memorable with your current and prospective clients.
Here’s an example we’re likely all experiencing right now. Holiday cards. We’re probably all receiving some generic cards, and we can tell they were mass produced by corporate offices, and mailed. Maybe they’ll turn the card into a nifty magnet, or a 2017 calendar but, been there, done that. Sure, it’s nice they remembered to include you on their list of many, and they might personalize the card or envelope with your name, however, it’s likely the same card and concept year after year.
Here are some reasons why “generic” is happening. Most of the time business owners are just too close to their brand to see the areas it is lacking in. They make assumptions that if they understand the meaning behind their slogan, logo, or marketing effort, then everyone will. They can’t see it with fresh eyes, or from a new perspective.
Same goes for businesses with marketing departments, it’s expected that day in and day out they develop new ideas. However, over time they can become too close to the brand as well. Another reason generic is happening is business owners or employees are busy and lack the time to be creative. Thinking of new ideas can be very time consuming! All of these reasons can lead us down the “good enough” road, which leads to: boring.
If you need genuine, fresh, not-so-boring ideas, consider outsourcing to someone who can provide a fresh perspective, research what it is that your customers truly want, and then deliver those things authentically.