Marketing is the way we portray ourselves. My two little German Spitz Dogs are prime examples in making me too kinder through their enchanting ways. I’ve never been a dog lover, but frankly, they are experts in the art of marketing to get what they want.
The German spitz is a lively and entertaining family pet. Happy and outgoing with people it knows, the dog is naturally suspicious of strangers and will bark to alert you to anyone approaching the home. However, when people are visiting its extremely friendly. A German spitz is extremely devoted to its owners. The breed is playful, adoring, and simply fun to have around.
Highly intelligent, the German Spitz learns quickly and is eager to please with motivational methods. He does not respond well to being made to do things however. One behavioral characteristic you may want to curb with training is his natural reaction to bark at anything new or unusual.
The bottom line is these pedigree dogs are experts in the art of marketing due to their crafty ways of staring at owners with mesmerizing eyes that dethrone even the strong-willed who have sworn not to fall into their mindful trap, and using body movements to show they mean business.
They are experts in the making because of their skillfulness to affect those they have been around for some time. As a metaphor, they react like a seasoned marketer trying to help a prospect succumb to their clever while sly methods of closing deals.
Dogs use psychology from years of having to improvise; otherwise known as instinct, or the gut feeling about how to get owners to treat them nicely and take homage so they can get consideration, caressing, and indulgences. Cunning rogues!
This is basic form marketing, but nothing has really changed apart from data has revolutionized marketing. Back in the 80s when selling facsimile machines, the key was to find prospective clients by making cold calls by phone or cold calling door to door. Visiting potential leads, if they were available, analysing their needs, and helping them realise they needed your product.
One question often asked by traditional marketers is: Has the increasing dependence on data and analytics taken the “art” out of marketing? As you might expect, it’s more than just a simple yes or no answer. So, we’re going to take a look at both ends of the spectrum; marketing as a science and marketing as an art.
As an art the gift of the gab makes all the difference, but as we will read ahead scientifically speaking, according to the experts, the art of marketing is a concept that psychologists believe the human brain is separated into two distinct functions, referred to as the “left brain” and the “right brain.” The right side of the brain is responsible for creative thinking and artistic intuition — which is why artistically inclined marketers are considered to be “right-brain” thinkers.
A “right-brain” marketer focuses their energy on producing high-quality marketing materials that capture the hearts and minds of their audience. They may understand the importance of marketing data, but they know creativity breeds success that can’t be found in spreadsheets and reports.
Let’s review some of the advantages of taking an artist’s approach to marketing:
1. Right-brained marketers create exceptional, unique content.
The demand for unique content has grown leaps and bounds in recent years. In fact, 47% of B2B buyers consume three to five pieces of content before engaging with a salesperson. In the B2B space, marketers face the challenge of turning technical, complex, and — let’s face it — occasionally boring concepts into captivating and engaging marketing content.
For example, let’s say you’re creating a video advertisement for your newest product. A science-minded marketer might create an ad that lays out all the necessary details: what the product does, why the customer needs it, and how they can buy it. An artist, on the other hand, might structure the advertisement as an engaging story that illustrates a rewarding customer experience.
2. Creative marketers often use their intuition to guide their decision making.
The scientists in us would say data-driven insights facilitate better marketing decisions than gut instinct. For the most part, that’s true. But human intuition is an irreplaceable tool. No matter which metrics you track or which tools you have at your disposal, you will still encounter problems that can only be solved with creative, human thinking.
Think about the most innovative businesses and business leaders in the world. Did they come up with their groundbreaking ideas by simply tracking metrics and analyzing data? Occasionally. But most often, industry leaders see an opportunity to create something new and divert from the status quo. And, often they trust their instincts to guide them where data cannot.
3. Right-brained marketers can often form deeper connections with prospects and customers.
Artists have the unique ability to understand human behavior. It’s why you relate to the characters on your favorite TV show, it’s why the dialogue in a great novel seems so authentic. And in marketing, a human understanding of your target audience is essential to your success. In fact, 50% of B2B buyers are more likely to make a purchase if they connect emotionally to a brand.
Data analysis will reveal useful insights into your audience’s activity, preferences and habits. But it takes an artist to look beyond the data and engage an audience on an emotional level. An artist knows how to craft campaigns that speak to an audience’s desires, fears, frustrations, and other intangible qualities that makes us human.
At the end of the day, good sales people are good marketers. Good marketers attract business!
All the best,
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Kinder (adj) = nicer, sympathetic, kindhearted, gentler, kindlier, generous, thoughtful, compassionate, benevolent
Staring (v) = gazing, gaping, gawking, watching, glaring, look intently, (ant) ignoring
Dethrone (v) = defeat, overwhelm, oust, unseat, overthrow, remove, triumph over
Strong-willed (adj) = determined to do as one wants even if other people advise against it.
Sworn (adj) = on oath, under oath, affirmed, avowed, confirmed, cursed, blasphemed, cursed, utter profanities
Sly (adj) = crafty, cunning, knowing, nifty, artful, shrewd, ingenious, astute, skillful
Rogues (n) = mischiefs, scoundrels, devils, teases, jokers, pranksters, tricksters,
Gift of the gab (idiom) = the ability to speak with eloquence and fluency.
"I was lucky enough to have the gift of gab, so I could make everyone fall into my spiderweb and follow me"
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