Marketing and communications look really easy when done the wrong way

In my current role, I get a lot of cold contacts from various salespeople. Their styles vary from company to company and person to person. There is no one way to do it. Some ask me to look at their public calendar and book time myself. Some are politely asking if I have 15 minutes for a call. Some forget to even have a call to action in their message.

Take a look at television and focus on the commercials. Some seem to draw you in but barely tell you what they are for. Some seem stupid but get stuck in your head for days. Others just fade to the background the moment they end. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, any of these styles could be a success or failure to the goal of airing it.

Geico makes commercials seem easy. They are almost all clever, they always change, it feels fresh, and they give you a reason to engage with the company (save 15% or more on car insurance!). I catch myself thinking “why doesn’t everyone copy this formula?” The answer is simple: it’s incredibly difficult to copy this type of success.

It’s incredibly easy to copy your competitors. Many companies actively seek out the current vendors for their competition to mimic the outcomes specifically. When a playbook exists, why recreate your own? McDonald’s took a proactive approach to figuring out where to put their stores across the country based on population and travel patterns. Burger King simply made the decision to have a store on the corner opposite all McDonalds.

Copying is great if your goal is to stay even and look like a twin to the original. Car companies excel in this philosophy. Commercials for each brand seem to be ever repetitive. Sure, some focus on being about “quality” or “lifestyle” or “technology” but that’s just a choice of focus, not a real difference in style or substance.

Being easy doesn’t make something good or bad. Similarly, the difficult path is no guarantee of success. To me, the goal is to stand out and do the right thing by focusing on what you are trying to do. It’s not easy.