Remember the old adage…?
“Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
For marketers, words are more powerful and important than both sticks and stones, figuratively speaking, of course. (warning: do not throw anything at your marketing friends to prove a point).
Steve McKee said, in ‘Power Branding’, that “a feature can always be matched. A claim can always be mimicked. But an emotional sweet spot is something your brand can occupy all by itself“. Let that sink in for a minute..
Sticks and stones are features and claims. In marketing, we flip the adage upside down. Features and claims shouldn’t be able to hurt us or be the things we compete on. Instead, it’s our words that matter. The story we’re able to tell with the customer at the center. The emotional connections we’re able to make through those words and stories. That is what can make or break our competitive spirit. McKee has it right.
B2C marketing has been doing this for eons, with B2B being quite the laggard. I think that is changing, but slowly. More marketing leaders are starting to join the B2H movement which brings together a more authentic, human centered approach in B2B. After all, we’re still selling something to a person at a company. The building doesn’t right the check. Read more on the topic here: https://cmovc.com/new-era-marketing-business-human/.
“A feature can always be matched. A claim can always be mimicked. But an emotional sweet spot is something your brand can occupy all by itself.”
Let’s find aspiration in B2C marketing but be B2H marketers. That’s the challenge and goal for us all in 2020 and beyond.
