Are You Unintentionally Advertising for the Other Guy?
“What are you doing for lunch today?” I asked Jessica Kurrle, ETR’s Marketing Director.
“Hmm… I definitely want a sub. I’ve had this sub song stuck in my head all morning. You know, the one that goes: ‘5… 5 dollar… 5 dollar foot-long.’”
“Oh,” I said “The Subway song.”
“Is that what it’s for? I didn’t remember that it was for Subway, just the song. I can’t get it out of my head. And it’s making me crave a sub sandwich.”
Jessica is always thinking like a marketer. After a second’s reflection, she commented: “That’s not very good marketing, actually. They did a good job coming up with a catchy tune and lyrics – but they didn’t clearly connect that to their particular brand. It’s like they’re advertising for subs in general, not Subway.”
No matter what product you’re marketing, keep this in mind. As Jessica says, “Make sure you market for the brand and not just the product.”
For example, a great commercial pointing out the benefits of a trampoline exercise would boost all trampoline sales. But if you own Joe’s Trampolines and you’re paying for that commercial, you want to stress that only Joe’s Trampolines have the highest-grade elastic material, with the right amount of buoyancy to give you the optimum workout.
