During our second 30-Minute Marketing Cardio session on April 29th, I noted that a lot of marketing and advertising copy was starting to sound the same.
“In these uncertain times…”
“We’re all in this together.”
“Today, more than ever…”
“We’re here for you.”
Very quickly, those and similar phrases were reaching cliché status, losing any impact they may have had at one time. And the negative response in some circles was almost palpable: “All right already! You think of us like family and home is important and this whole thing is unprecedented. We get it.”
“So, what is your company doing about it?” I wondered in response.
Some brands did provide answers. A few car companies came up with alternative financing options and return policies for those whose jobs might be lost to the COVID-19 quarantine. Insurance providers gave rebates because fewer customers were driving.
But there were far more vague, empty references to “the new normal” and “getting through this.”
That concentration of similar messaging around a single theme over the last few months made the lack of originality and hollow statements more apparent. But we’ve been talking about the issue for years, urging you to avoid easy, trite marketing-speak in favor of true words you believe, promises you can keep, and differences that are rooted in your company culture, not just whipped up to appeal to the current mood of the country.
When you’re saying the same thing in the same way that so many others are, you can’t stand out. You won’t be remembered as delivering a unique solution. You may even weaken your brand by moving in step with the crowd, rather than daring to cut your own path.
I encourage you to keep that in mind as you move forward to create post-pandemic content.
Here are a few of our other articles that can help you define your brand and content style.
