The concept of marketing was originally based on five pillars which gave the direction of any company’s strategy-to-be-implemented: product, price, placement, promotion, and people. Focusing on the right one of these concepts made for a successful marketing strategy. While the basis still consists of these, the way marketing specialists understand how to apply them in today’s business environment has changed, and the focus shifted towards a new definition of being creative.
A look in the past
As far as traditional marketing goes, creativity was measured in a more subjective way. Marketers were known as employees who created the ads that retained the attention of a wide array of potential customers. They were intended for anyone who laid their eyes on the TV spot or printed ad, without specifically targeting a particular client’s typology. The success of such marketing campaigns was difficult to quantify.
Creativity was the ability of marketers to devise commercials that would stick with the viewer for a long time. The occasion would arrive where the customer had a need which resembled the one that the promoted product or service resolved. That specific commercial would be the first to come in mind, therefore making the client finalize the purchase. The creator of such advertisements was seen as an artist, while his or her inspiration was repaid through various awards given by a jury, on subjective criteria. For traditional marketing, the old saying, “There is no such thing as bad publicity”, still made sense. Hence, the classical way of doing things had marketing stop at getting the customers through the door, where the sales personnel would start their job at finalizing the acquisition.
A glimpse in the present
In a world of constant innovation and technology breakthroughs, two ideas shape the way creativity helps the field of marketing achieve its goal.
First, it’s been proven that the final user doesn’t easily accept the concept of “it can’t be done”. The abundance of available choices, as well as the easy access to information about compared characteristics of same line products, or qualitative issues, mainly based on some of the previous users’ recollections of own experiences in using the same product or service, have given the final user the necessary means to become more exigent.
The second point of discussion is taking into account that the latest boosts in technology have made people less prone at getting exposed to interpersonal contact. The combination of these two traits resulted in defining innovation in marketing as the means to respond to the high expectations the customer has, by creating specific experiences for each particular individual, while also filling the gap created by the lack of human connection. Based on these two ideas, a series of appropriate manifestations of creativity have occurred lately in the field of marketing, as stated in what follows.
Inside the mind of the customer
Creativity and the trends that marketing is following nowadays take this domain closer to the exact sciences, than the world of art. Every marketer is basing his activity on collecting a large amount of detailed and precise information on the targeted customers. General available truths and decisions based on statistical valid averages are not cutting it anymore. Marketing specialists need to go beyond statistics and get to know the client’s preferences, interests, or buying habits, on a more profound level. This is the way it can create and provide personalized content.
Research shows that a customer is more inclined to purchase a product he identifies with, on a certain level. Having the customer know the importance of his opinion, given through direct feedback or by reviews, ensures a high level of involvement on his behalf. Where possible, it should be taken one step further, by allowing and encouraging the future client, or even the sales-force employee, to be a part of the designing process. Both categories have valuable input from both sides of the negotiation table. Instead of being solely customer-oriented, it could be better to involve everyone in the process of decision making.
Staying light on the feet
Marketing specialists are bound to change the way they position themselves in regard to the business and turn towards the entrepreneurial way of thinking. This means evolving along with the tendencies in the market and having the malleability to change the perspective along the way. It also means maintaining a flexible strategy in the short run, managing to keep, all the while, the long-term goal in perspective.
A good example is given by the increase in digitization, which plays an important role in marketing’s paradigm shift. The standard media approach is not enough anymore, and a turn towards alternative promoting solutions, centered on the virtual space and social media has become necessary. This is how the concept of influencers appeared. The reason behind its rapid development was that it represented the natural next step in marketing innovation. Also, the fact that anybody who wanted to become an influencer had easy access to the means to do so increased this trend’s popularity.
Embark on a full trip
In complete opposition to the times when marketing’s job was done the moment the client stepped inside the selling point, the present times’ suppliers must ensure the buyer’s satisfaction remains at a high level from the first touch, long after the deal was sealed.
The experience offered to clients must be a complete journey, from the moment the client gets hooked on the commercial designed especially for him, through the ordeals of completing the acquisition itself, all the way to the post-sale support. The middle stage of the sale, in fact, is also prone to the influence of the marketing strategy. It presents the mandatory steps of displaying the characteristics while being creative enough to wrap them in the form of benefits for the client. Then comes the objections part, which is the real test to see if the way the product, or service, has been promoted was fairly done, while clearly stating its traits without misleading the client.
The measure of success
As stated before, the field of marketing has become more number-oriented and being able to concretely monitor the efficiency of a certain course of action to the detriment of another, received increased importance. The days when the measurement was about how many creative awards the publicity agency won are long gone.
Sticking to the established budget is going to be mandatory no matter what, as it’s a natural part of managing any business and still remains the main indicator of being efficient. However, marketing creativity makes its presence felt when, after measuring and interpreting data, it could help adjust the chosen strategy, while also reallocate available resources where they can become more productive.
Conclusion
The shift in the definition of creativity in marketing has turned towards social media as a means to self-promote themselves. The classic media is soon replaced by apps, followers and stars of the virtual space. Also, the provided content is personalized for everyone’s desires, assessment based on a multitude of information the client willingly gives out himself, or indirect, through behavioral patterns. Finally, thinking ahead of times might mean simply being able to go with the flow and not stand against the natural changes.
