A lot of the big brands are now shifting their marketing focus toward humanizing their brand with consumers in order to differentiate themselves from competitors.
This hot new trend is called Cliché Marketing or “Self-Conscious Selling” and it appears to be working quite well for certain brands.
Basically, brands are using humor; in the form of making fun of their company, their industry, and all-round absurd marketing clichés from their past advertising in order to put themselves in front of customers, on their level.
I call this a “flesh and blood approach” since such companies are trying to get away from being some sort of ubiquitous, boring “product herder” trying to usher you into a corral where you buy their product because an ad used dull, cheesy, time-tested psychological programming to brainwash you into doing so (yes, that sentence was a mouthful — apologies!)
Check out this video, showing three companies who’ve went way over the top in an effort to increase their reach and find new clients (WARNING: #3 is really disturbing!)
You don’t have to be a big brand to strike this popular trend while the iron is hot. If you’re a fresh startup, don’t lead with the same old boring stuff. Cast out your human aura and watch the sales roll in when your consumers choose you — a brand they can identify with — whose not afraid to make fun of themselves and their industry cliches.
Now, about the third video featured…
Do any of you think that’s pushing the bar a bit “south” of what’s acceptable?
I’m not saying yay or nay, but what’s up with the name “Hello Flow” and do young girls really need a different product than grown women? I can’t imagine this commercial being featured on mainstream network television.
Any who, share your thoughts and do consider the clichés that exist in your industry the next time you and your team gather around the whiteboard for a brand-building brainstorming session.
