You know what has stuck with me throughout my life?
Reminding myself that you simply cannot please everyone. And if we are being completely honest, I think that is the whole point. Hear me out. When we think of things everybody likes, what comes to mind? Black clothes? Sunny, but not too hot nor too cold kind of days? Free snacks in the office?
Don’t get me wrong, these things are great small talk conversations or something to put on your Instagram story, but that one black outfit won’t be remembered a month down the line, or that sunny day won’t end up in any history books.
I guess what I am trying to say is that “keeping it neutral” or “make it appealing for everyone”, especially in the marketing industry, does nothing at all these days.
We live in an attention economy now. Safe doesn’t equal success, it’s a quick scroll past and is becoming another word for invisible.
The average personalised ads we see a day is somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 and, assuming we get our recommended eight hours sleep, we see between 250 to 625 ads every hour. When you think about it, how many can you actually remember? Maybe one or two, but the chance you remember these even a week later becomes pretty slim.
Most ads and campaigns just blend into one big, noisy mess, nothing sticks. In today’s attention economy, it’s not making mistakes that kills you, it’s being forgettable.
Before I continue, let me be clear, when I say “pissing people off” in a marketing or PR campaign, I don’t mean being offensive or stirring up a scandal just to chase cheap clicks. That’s lazy, and it won’t serve you in the long run. What I’m talking about is provoking thought, doing something bold enough to make people stop, talk, and start questioning.
Being vanilla is using AI in a lazy way, and we can tell.
AI is everywhere, and if you don’t learn to use it effectively, you’ll fall behind fast.
AI’s power to generate endless content can make it tempting to let it do all the work, from marketing campaigns to breakup texts – but that’s lazy and you often end up with unimpressive results.
You get out what you put in. AI is a powerful facilitator of creativity, however, it should not be treated as for the driver of it. Treat it like a teammate that can amplify your ideas, not one that replaces them. Because when you lean too hard on AI without direction or intent, the output will feel repetitive.
Look, if your goal is to make generic content, go ahead, trust AI to do all the work. But letting you know, you’re not just competing with other brands anymore. You’re competing with other machines. And if you ask me, they’re winning, because they’ve already convinced people they’re coming for pretty much every job. Which is not true, humans still hold the key role in the relationship, we just need to remember that real creative advantage comes from how we use these tools.
Still following the ‘alpha male’ formula in marketing? Why?
When it comes to marketing and campaigns, the basic approach is to follow a specific process or a formula that has historically worked so, naturally, we might think it’ll work for us too. It’s typically a safe bet, however, why should ‘well it worked before’ be our goal? It’s easy to feel comfort in doing what is already been done, but marketers who follow cannot effectively represent companies who lead.
I love an analogy, and to me it’s like the ‘alpha male’ complex. A lot of people respect the alpha male and follow them until someone realises, they are just the loudest in the room, which gets boring quickly.
In my opinion, real leaders in marketing shift a culture, influence a brand change, or start a relevant conversation. They aren’t trying to please everyone and that’s what makes them stand out. They’re the ones who make real noise, take risks, and take sides – and in the process they create conversations that make people feel something.
Change the Ref’s 2021 “The Lost Class” campaign is an incredibly impactful example of what happens when you stop playing it safe and actually say something. Tricking a pro-gun lobbyist into giving a speech to 3,044 empty chairs, each one representing a kid lost to gun violence, was gutsy, uncomfortable, and unforgettable. It didn’t just make a statement, it made headlines, sparked real conversations by creating such an effective visual representation of the devastating effects of gun violence, and hit over 1.4 billion media impressions without spending a cent on advertising. It simply pushed the boundaries in all the right ways and proves my point that if you’re not stirring something up, in the right way, you’re probably going to end up being ignored.
Its content like this that triggers emotion, forces people to think, and even makes them a little uncomfortable – which results in it being remembered, and more importantly ignites change.
Bland doesn’t build brands
Brands need to make a stance, even if it is sometimes controversial. It has to trigger a reaction in people and make them say “wait, what was that?” Sometimes, that means shaking up the norm and not just following what has always been done. Sometimes, that means being bold enough to make people uncomfortable.
They key isn’t just being the loudest – it’s about unapologetically promoting a message that makes people understand a company’s personality, values, and mission.
People constantly talk about taking risks, whether it’s moving to a new country, changing careers, or stepping outside your comfort zone. We know risk resonates, so why aren’t brands doing the same? You never know what bold move could be the one that is talked about in marketing blogs, and far beyond, for years to come.
