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Why wine... because no great story ever started with someone eating a salad!
Coming up with clever campaigns is hard, but it's all worth it when you see the final result, and the look on someone's face when you present it to them, whether it’s the client or the end-user. It is that satisfaction that makes us WANT to come up with these clever ideas.
"Think outside the box" is one of the most used phrases when it comes to design, but if you want your product to stand out, then that’s exactly what you must do - it’s that creative thinking that acknowledges and rejects the accepted paradigm to come up with new ideas.
The bad news for most brands is…
Not every company can be Apple. Not every company can create products that are appealing, both visually and on a sensory level, or that create that coveted emotional connection.
The fact is that most companies don’t produce dazzling products; the vast majority of brands create parts and pieces used in other products, or make functional items and apparatus sold through distributors, and from a standalone product standpoint, there’s nothing flashy about them. Yet these are the products that make the world go round.
Your product boasts a brilliantly important purpose
The Apples of the world are the exceptions. We don’t need iPhones and iPads, we need nuts and bolts and office machines; we need those boring, yet necessary products that fuel our businesses and our lives, like those little plastic thingies that go on the ends of our shoelaces.
Yet the Apples get all the marketing glory, because they’re simply cool, and they have given all the other companies out there an inferiority complex.
Snap out of it! Spice up your stale product marketing
When it comes to marketing, too many companies embed themselves inside a box of limitations. They compare themselves with the Apples of the world, and decide they can’t compete, believing their products are boring or unsexy. So they do what everyone else in their industry does, and create their own self-fulfilling prophecy, believing their marketing efforts have to be boring too.
Just because your product isn’t as sexy as an iPhone, doesn’t mean your marketing can’t be as interesting and engaging as Apple’s. More to the point, if you have what you consider to be a boring or unsexy product, that’s all the more reason to make your marketing more interesting, exciting and engaging.
Case Study: Inland Technology
Inland Technology wanted to deliver an event to showcase and launch an exciting (to them) new product to their clients – no, it wasn’t the next iPhone… it’s a printer *sigh* So what? The product may not be sexy to most people, but throwing a stand-out event can generate tons of buzz anyway, and give you the opportunity to create the excitement.
Paper invitations can get lost in the shuffle
Inland technology is in the business of paper management, so a paper invitation would almost have to be expected, right? But let’s face it, in a world where we are constantly bombarded with both paper and digital correspondence, yet another piece of paper IS going to get lost in the shuffle.
“…the essence of creativity is to be surprised, to come up with something you really didn’t know. That’s the nova in innovation. It’s the newness. And if you keep doing the same old thing you won’t do the new thing.”
- Michael Gelb
Objective
Create a clever event invitation that will inspire curiosity, attendance, high buy-in and memorable moments.
If you're a designer you will most certainly have designed an invitation or two in your time, whether for yourself, a friend, or a client. But finding inspiration isn't always easy. The excitement of an event can begin way before the doors open; there are so many ways to make an impression and set the scene beforehand, but it all starts with the first touchpoint, the invitation.
Strategy & Execution
A design that included a small gift was the idea. Of course our first thought was alcohol... because no great story ever started with someone eating a salad!
High quality cleanskin red and white wines were found, and custom designed labels were created, and you guessed it, printed using the new showcase printer!
Front and back labels were designed, with invitations and instructions on the event, proposed to entice them on what to expect (date, time, food/beverages, what to do with the bottle… this involved a game).
Each bottle of wine was delivered to the prospect with instructions that the unopened bottle had to be returned on attendance at the event to go in a draw to win every other returned bottle of wine. Additional sexy labels were also printed, and a bottle of wine was unexpectedly sent to the attendees who did not win the grand prize.
Results
It wasn’t the fact that the client received a free bottle of wine, or that they had been selected to attend the event. It was all about the fact that some serious thought and effort had been put in to make each client feel special when receiving this invitation, immediately creating a memorable moment, and that coveted emotional connection.
Inland Technology’s event was a huge
success, created the desired impact, and was certainly the talk of the town.
For all the companies out there that think your marketing is limited by the products or services you sell, wake up! You may not be Apple, but you can be the Apple of your market. Whether you supply companies with paper or manufacture safety pins, your marketing choices are your chance to leave your mark.
Been doing the same thing for 25 years? Surprise the hell out of everyone by not doing it. At least once. Let 2 Creative Media be your creative thinkers, and let’s get you out of that box.
Call us today (02) 6761 2222
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