When Jonathan and Nancy hunker down in the Byers’ house (we’re talking Stranger Things if you didn’t know), wielding a gun and nail-studded bat, it’s hard to derive any comfort from watching them set the bear trap. It looks incredibly risky, right? Of course, they didn’t know that Steve was going to show up and add his muscle to swinging the bat. But it’s easy to see that the real risk was in doing nothing. They had to do it. The same is true for your brand.
There are some strange things you can use to trumpet your brand’s message, but they may be far different from your current marketing activities. Sure, it can be scary and you may feel like Nancy crawling through the tree trunk into the Upside Down, wondering what you’ve done.
Safety is the Real Risk: Obviously not doing any marketing is risky, but so is doing the same old things, just because you’ve always done them. If you send out a promotional mailer every year, practically on autopilot and without ever asking yourselves what the return on investment is, that’s pretty dangerous marketing.
Change up Your Game: Maybe you don’t need a major overhaul, but you do need to change up an important part of your marketing plan. For instance, maybe you’ve been writing a blog for years, but it’s time to utilize that material into a video series or some infographics that look great on a Facebook feed.
Get Crazy: Sure, Nancy crawling into the Upside Down felt pretty nuts, but while you were pleading at the television screen for her to turn around, you also knew that her daring was what was going to lead to a solution. You’re going to need to experiment to see which marketing techniques will help you increase brand awareness. You may experience a few failures, but like Nancy, you might learn what you should use as bait (you should definitely not use blood, just FYI) or if a segment of your audience is particularly excited about a specific kind of content.
Collaborate: Who ever thought that Jonathan and Steve would team up after beating each other up in an alley? You might find some unlikely partners that help your brand gain traction in new ways. Consider doing a live event with an industry partner that has a related product or service, or ask them to appear with you in a promotional video.
Don’t be fooled; the risk is not in trying new marketing ideas or putting your brand out in an unconventional way. Try some of these ideas and see if your brand doesn’t get some new attention.
We’re ready to help you with creative solutions and out-of-the-box ideas. In fact, we’re so good at creating traction for your brand, you might wonder if we’ve tapped into a bit of Eleven’s mind control powers. Contact us to get started on some new strategies for your brand.