“Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth” the law
of the lever, often attributed to the Greek Mathematician and inventor
Archimedes, applies to marketing in a very real way. The idea concerns the understanding that a small force can move a
great weight by means of a lever.
In this age of gimmicks, giveaways, sex and popular culture the
true nature of marketing or the use of a good lever has been misused. Like Archimedes’ lever the basic marketing
principle is similar in that a small, inalienable truth properly developed and
promoted can have a dramatic effect on the fortunes of a company or product.
The advent of social media, twitter and the elevation of
popular culture helps us define who we are - and it is a decidedly younger
demographic that controls the bulk of buying power in today’s society. So,
having a lever or creative idea that defines the value proposition and appeals
to a younger audience has become more important. It allows the value
proposition about a product to become a lever that can be understood more rapidly
and shared more broadly. The products we like, use and share attach a certain cache
to our personalities and so have an inordinate importance that marketing can
leverage to promote products. All of
these influencing factors have made it a great time to market and realize significant
growth as a result.
Now, having said that, why are most companies and
organization undervaluing the use of marketing and promotions when it could
have profound affect on awareness and productivity? Have we become enmeshed in the day to day
administrative routines or have we imagined ourselves as the marketing gurus? Or
are we so entrenched in its everyday use that we have overlooked it or we feel
we can effectively create ideas and marketing around our products without the
aid of costly outside marketing expertise. It’s probably more a combination of these
factors and the helplessness that most companies or organizations feel in the proliferation
of mediums and technology. Often when we are overwhelmed and we seek the
comfort of simplicity using predictable avenues and strategies that are
familiar to us.
Taking the time to consult with a marketing expert and have them
develop both a great creative idea and a marketing strategy. (Note - creative ideas and marketing strategies
are not the same). The creative idea is a unique tool that marketing uses
across all mediums in a variety of forms to create a consistent perception or
inalienable truth about your company or product and the marketing strategy is
the plan that puts that tool into play.
We are fortunate in that we live in a time when a marketing
idea can change the fortunes of a company on a dime yet few companies employ a
focused strategy that leverages the value proposition and good creative idea. Old
school marketing gurus like David Ogilvy, Lee Clow, Phyllis K. Robinson, Hal Riney and many others knew and understood this concept and used in
landmark campaigns that have changed the buying habits of people around the
world …simply with a good creative idea and fervent belief .
You can quote me on this “Give me a great creative idea and
I can change the world.” You just have
to take the time to understand the value proposition and use it as a lever.
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