It's no secret that advertising has changed in the last 50 years. In the past, a business could spend a fortune on TV advertisements and quickly get a return on their investments. That structure no longer works. In Seth Godin's book Purple Cow, he states, "It's not just TV that's fading, it's newspapers and magazines - any form of media interrupting any form of consumer activity." Carry this idea over to micro marketing on social media platforms; it explains why Instagram advertisement engagement is down 30% since 2016 (L2 Inc.) and why 60% of Snapchat users skip ads immediately (digiday.com). Take a second and try and recall just four ads you’ve seen today...it's hard isn’t? That’s because the average person in America will see 4,000 ads each day (red crow marketing). Americans see so many ads; they merely tune the ads out. Though the efficiency of advertisements is dwindling, there is still hope for marketing your company - and it's free! It’s called personal marketing.

How to advertise when no one is listening II

People no longer pay attention to ads due to the vast amount of them - on average American’s view 4,000 ads per day (red crow marketing). Because of this, traditional advertising is no longer active. This is where personal marketing comes in. Instead of focusing on advertisements and new ad campaigns, shift your focus towards your customers.

Tieks is a perfect example of Personal Marketing. Every pair sold has its special touches: each comes in a gift box with a bow, a reusable bag (for your shoes), and a personal note from the employee who packed it. Because of these personal customizations, Tieks have made it on Oprah’s List. Women are buying as many as ten pairs at a time (roughly $1,200). Another example is the ever-growing fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A. The employees are always happy, polite, and put customer satisfaction first. If you have ever been to one, you know, it is like no other fast-food chain. Every time one is about to have a grand opening, there's a line of people (camped out) eager to be the first one in. Ask yourself “have I ever seen people camped out in front of a Mcdonald’s?” NO!

Tieks and Chick-fil-a both have a quality product, but neither is ground-breaking. However, what makes them stand out from the rest is this...they both put customers first.

Seth Godin's books, Purple Cow and Unleashing the Ideavirus, supports this idea through his term, ’sneezers.’ Sneezers are people who love your product or service and continuously tell everyone in their circle of influence about it. The best way to attract and gain sneezers is to have a remarkable product or service. Right now, nothing is more remarkable than making customer satisfaction your top priority.

David Sunnock

Designer | Marketer

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