|
Does Your
Marketing Pass the Toddler Test?
Being a parent has taught me almost as much about marketing
as my 4 years in college. Watching my 2 year old
daughter's reactions and perceptions to businesses
advertising on TV and radio have given me new insight on how
we view and respond to logos, jingles and visuals in ads,
how we categorize them and recall them later, as well as how
those messages connect and grow over time.
This is by no
means a scientific study though I do find my parent skills
still in what I consider the "experimental stage".
So what have I
learned?
We were in the midst of baseball season as my daughter's
language skills were beginning to bloom. Pretty much
every night my husband would have the game on TV or radio.
And while my daughter played in the same area, paying no
mind to the game - every time they would run their
sponsored segments she would snap to attention. The "catchy
beat" of the "Save Big Money at Menards" song inspired her
to get up and dance, while the AFLAC duck generated fits of
giggles. And while all that just sounds like typical toddler
behavior - the real "Ah Ha" moment was when, while
paging thought the Sunday newspaper ads with me - she
recognized the Menards logo... and danced. Soon after
I noticed while she was playing with her rubber ducky it was
saying something that sounds more like AFLAC than quack.
I thought, WOW, either I have a marketing genuis on my hands
or this is the power of branding - at just over 1 year
old Menards and AFLAC have burned their brand into my baby's
brain
As her language skills grew I noticed more and more how the
big brands were instantly recognizable to her and how she
was connecting them to everything else in her world.
Now at 2 years old, it's Daddy's Menards and Mommy's Target.
As we drive through Hermantown to Duluth on Hwy 53, she
yells out all the businesses that are well branded -
specifically the car dealerships - as well as what relative
drives it -- from Grandma Ann's "Su-ba-roooo!" to Daddy's "Chebrolet".
I didn't even notice the new Honda dealership until she
pointed it out (Grandpa Ike drives one of those). And
after we met Grandma for breakfast at Perkins - I now know
where were approaching a Perkins whether its in Duluth,
Cloquet or Forest Lake.
So how does
this help us in business?
I often find myself asking how can I use this information.
I decide that we should take the cue from my toddlers brain
and create the Toddlers Top 4 Rules of Marketing. Our
toddler years are when we learn the basics of language,
music and symbols - Remember the stage when every
four-legged animal was a "Woof"? And there was only
one song or move your child would have anything to do with?
It makes sense that we harken back to our days of drooling
and tantrums to create logos, ads, jingles and more that
become so ingrained that every can of pop is Pepsi.
Toddlers Top 4 Rules of Marketing
1. Move me.
Music has
power and inspires emotion. Just as the music is
the scariest part of horror movies, music in your ads
inspires emotional, mental and physical reaction. If
"Save big money at Menards" can instigate a toddler dance
party - what can music do for you?
Recently my favorite Blue Cross "DO" ad is back on the air -
I'm sure you've seen it - the one where they guy in the
waiting room gets up to dance to what is easily my favorite
song -- where can I get that song on disk?! The music
in that ad - makes the ad. It really does move us -
and now that we have DVR may daughter and I really do get up
and dance to that ad - then rewind and repeat for about 10
minutes (isn't that the goal of their campaign - well it's
working!) That's physical reaction - the toe-tapping, hand
clapping that catches your attention enough to be actively
involved with the ad.
On the emotional side, there was a Johnson & Johnson ad that
started running as I was awaiting the birth of my son. The
music has on eery sound to it and visuals of women in labor.
The visuals for me weren't nearly as powerful as the music -
which actually inspired tears in the last trimester (not a
huge feat considering any parent/child interaction would
start the waterworks). But even now that music stops
me in my tracks and makes me catch my breath. The
message of the ad is that Johnson & Johnson realizes how
important caring for children is and that they provide the
very best. And kudos to their agency because that is
how that music makes me feel: This parenting gig is
serious business!
2. Symbolize.
Let me allow a 2 year old to teach you how important a logo
is. After my daughter's first encounter with Menards
during the Twins games and Sunday paper inserts, she could
pick out the logo anywhere. Driving down Hwy 53, on
the plastic bag my husband walks through the door with , the
crumpled receipt that ended up on the kitchen floor, even
the free wood paint stirring stick in the basement garbage
can and on one of those flat pencils (that I still don't
know what they do different or better than a regular
pencil...). What's the lesson we can learn here? Not
only is a logo important in branding your business - but
it's not worth the money you spent to have it designed if
you don't stick it on virtually everything that leaves your
business.
3. Make a
Connection.
Be assured that no matter how recognizable your logo or how
prevalent. Menards would not be so important to my
daughter if she didn't see her dad with "stuff" from Menards
on what seems like a weekly basis, or that on many a
Daddy/Daughter day the primary activity is a trip to
everyone's favorite home improvement store. Making
connections between your company/products and your customers
will create a stronger allegiance to your brand. Now
you don't to track down each customer and find a way to
connect to them. Connecting with an adult (if you can
get their attention) is easier than with kids, because their
"world" is more expansive and their experiences more vast.
You can make connections on many levels, from personal -
connecting with a specific target market with shared
values or experiences or prestige - think product
placement/celebrity spokespersons; to emotional - the
Johnson & Johnson ad about parenting; to location with the
"hometown approach" and so on..
4. Be Big, Be
Loud and Be Fun!
You might have to think out of the box on this one - but by
and large the most powerful ads in the toddler world make
bold statements or have boisterous voices or an element of
fun that automatically turns heads.
While it might not
solve all your marketing issues - the next time you sit down
for a brainstorming session, take a look at your brand from
a toddler perspective. and you may find some new ways to
stand out to your customers... all while keeping their
toddlers entertained. Trust me, the parents will thank you!
|
