Here’s our round-up of what we’ve been talking about this week including Jean Claud Van Damme doing the splits, Pokémon Go, finding your ‘why’, and the art of placing CTAs above the fold.
Jacob, PR & Social Media
Marketing with the splendid legs of Van Damme
One of the most vital tenets of storycrafting in any form is ‘show, don’t tell’. It’s crucial to remember that audiences want to experience a story or product through exciting action and sensory stimulation – nobody wants to hear a company wax lyrical on boring stats and sales-y jargon. This week, I came across a video from 2014 that’s about as ‘show’ as it gets: Jean Claud Van Damme doing the splits between two reversing Volvo trucks.
Volvo Trucks needed a way to show the world their Dynamic Steering system – an innovation that allows for a new level of control over their vehicles, to the point where two separate truck drivers can keep the same distance between them, while traveling at the same speed in reverse.
Their video campaign involved a ballerina, a hamster, and lots of dangerous things that we shouldn’t do at home, but it needed a send-off that blew away the previous entries. And what better way to do this than to have The Muscles From Brussels maintain a glorious split over the wing mirrors of two reversing trucks? Rather than tell us their steering system is safe and precise, they showed us a literal (if utterly bizarre) application of said features – the harmony of man and machine.
Elena, Account Executive
Customers come, Pokémon Go
As a Pokémon Go player, I had to focus my section of this week’s coffee break on this amazing app that’s been proclaimed the best use of Augmented Reality so far and is making so many people across the globe exercise to catch and incubate its magical creatures.
Within a few days of the launch, Pokémon Go had more active users than Twitter, had more downloads than the dating app Tinder, and drove more engagement than Facebook. We didn’t have to wait long until articles emerged giving tips on how to make money out of the hype and attract people to your business. The most obvious and common pieces of advice are:
- Checking if your shop has a Poké stop, and if so throw a Lure and wait for the trainers to arrive. This article shows you how to do this and estimates that this “business hack” will only cost you $1.19 per hour (if you’re not an avid player).
- Check if your shop is a gym. You don’t have to do much after that if it is, but you can post pictures on social media or have special offers for members of the winning team.
- If your shop is not a Poké stop or a gym, you can still take advantage of this trend by uploading, or asking consumers to upload pictures of the Pokémon they catch in your shop and tag you.
These are just a few examples, but the possibilities go as far as your imagination. If you’re not a fan of the game and think it’s best to ignore the trend, think again: there are 30 million Pokemon Go users, of all ages and walks of life. You should take advantage of the hype while it lasts. Trust me, I’m a millennial ✌️.
Candice, Managing Director
Connect with your customers like your future depends on it… because it does.
It’s interesting when you meet a person or potential client for the first time and you casually ask, ‘what do you do?’ Most people have a quick answer that highlights what they do and the services they offer, but when you ask: “what is your purpose?” It appears to be a bit trickier to answer.
Everyone seems to be saying the same thing in a particular sector, but what makes you stand out? Are you really different? How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? I recently went to a Drum Network Chapter Event and had the pleasure of listening to John Scarrott, trainer and coach, specialising in influential communication for the marketing, design and creative agency community. John highlighted the philosophy of one of my favourite authors and speakers, Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” – it’s essential to start with why you do what you do, and you will find your purpose.
Simon Sinek discusses the principal behind every successful person and business. A simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?”
Apple gets the “why” factor. Their brand success is not only the result of a great logo and catchy tagline, but also the company’s ability to communicate and deliver a definite purpose and great products. According to Steve Jobs, the MACINTOSH was designed for people who wanted to use a computer, not learn how to use one. They called it “the computer for the rest of us”. Though most computers today are simple to use, Apple is still known for its innovation and ease of use. In fact they emphasise this point by not packaging some products with “user manuals”.
Once you know why you do what you do, it’s important to get your positioning right. When you talk to potential customers, what is your primary marketing message? Whatever it is, is it consistent across all channels? Having a consistent message across all marketing channels should be a priority for any business and marketing team.
Connect with your customers and your potential customers around a purpose and they will more likely recommend you, or better yet, they will be less likely to shop around.
Sian, Creative Artworker
CTA placement: to fold or not to fold, that it the question
When designing a newspaper’s front page it’s common practice to place the most important headline, or perhaps the most financially lucrative, at the top. This is because most newspapers are displayed folded. We don’t see the bottom of the page, so the top, above the fold, is the most valuable when getting us to pick up the paper.
This same principle is often applied to web design. We don’t see the bottom of the page, so the top is the most valuable in getting us to convert. Because of this, and the value we place on call to actions, we often place CTAs within this zone. It sort of makes sense – we want people to convert, and what if they don’t scroll and only stay above the fold? But iIn reality placing your CTA above the fold doesn’t affect conversion rates.
Like getting people to pick up and unfold that paper, it’s all about motivating people to scroll. You already have them on your site, that’s the first challenge -, the next is to keep them interested. And if you do that, you can place your CTA in a logical and less demanding place that doesn’t require them to commit before they’ve decided.
Kissmetrics outlines three key practices when placing CTA’s: if a user is coming to the page already interested, place it above the fold – they’re already convinced so make their life easier. If you’re dealing with undecided users and offering something straightforward you can still place the CTA above the fold, but add in some clear and short copy to convince them. If your service is a little more complex, invest in some fantastically written, more lengthy copy to keep their attention and encourage scrolling, and at the same time convince them to hit that CTA in the logical place – at the bottom.
