The greatest failure in marketing is being ignored. Look at the marketing campaigns in any industry and you’ll find a lot of safe strategies, familiar colors and expected “differentiators.” Sure, they tick all the boxes and get the green light from multiple layers of decision-makers. But what’s the result? Advertising that just blends in with competitors’ efforts. We call that “marketing camouflage.”

 

How safe choices lead to camouflage

The approval process is one of the biggest barriers to creating memorable marketing. You start with a great idea but then run the gauntlet: multiple layers of review, input from stakeholders and legal and safety departments, copyright reviews and the need for broad consensus. Each layer requires changes — soften this, remove that, play it safer here. In the end, you finish with something everyone is comfortable with.

The problem? Comfort rarely inspires or stands out (unless you’re selling mattresses!).

It’s like asking a group to choose a pizza for dinner. At first, people throw out bold ideas: “Buffalo chicken!” “Canadian bacon and pineapple!” “The works!” But as more opinions are weighed and compromises are made, the group inevitably lands on something safe and universal: like plain cheese.

But plain cheese doesn’t excite. Plain cheese doesn’t inspire. Plain cheese disappears into the background. You’ll never even remember having plain cheese pizza the next day!

 

Marketing = science AND art

No one plans to create uninspiring marketing. But when we let data lead creative, we run the risk of copying what’s already been done by everyone else who has access to the same data. Social media, Google and a plethora of other research tools make analytics, audience insights, and demographic data easier to access than ever. This data is important. But so is some creative thinking to ensure you’re using it in a way that will stand out to your customers.

For example: You manufacture and sell Gizmos. Your research tells you your target audience is 18-to 30-year-olds who love boats and respond to whimsical imagery. You design a campaign using a boat, playful taglines and quirky characters. The problem? Every other Gizmo company has the same data. Now the market is awash with boats and whimsical ads — and your product blends in. Camouflage.

But not if you use research as a guide and use creativity to make the journey memorable.

 

Standing out: Examples of bold marketing

1. Use emotion

Brundage Mountain Resort was ready to rise above their competition. Their agency could’ve taken the easy (and expected) route and created a campaign featuring a few action-packed shots of skiers flying past and some energetic music. Instead, they personified the mountain and forged an emotional connection with their audience, making the resort feel more special than any other in the area.

2. Make it memorable

Volvo Trucks could have created a standard product demo to showcase their precision steering and smooth ride. Instead, they produced the “Epic Split” campaign, featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme performing a gravity-defying split between two moving trucks. The result? A campaign that captivated audiences far beyond their industry and stole any attention their competitors hoped to gain.

3. Challenge norms

When car company Mini wanted to improve their brand image and create more awareness in the U.S. market to stand out from other foreign competitors, they could have just created a features-driven campaign touting advantages like fuel efficiency or maneuverability. But instead, they took a tongue-in-cheek approach by challenging one of the more-respected performance automotive brands — Porsche. The Mini vs. Porsche campaign was born.

Creativity requires courage

Creativity in marketing is risky, and risk makes people uncomfortable. That’s why so many campaigns default to what feels safe. But great marketing isn’t designed to make people comfortable — it’s designed to make them feel something.

If your marketing feels too familiar, maybe it’s time to rethink your approach. More art. Less science. Be willing to take risks. Let your campaigns challenge expectations, stir emotions, tell a compelling story and stand out from the noise.

Because in today’s crowded marketing world, people are bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages every single day. Camouflage hides you from the people you want to wow.

Don’t settle for plain cheese. Be the buffalo chicken pizza that no one can ignore.

Check out how the Lessing-Flynn team spices things up and creates brand stories that stand out among the camouflage.