The search for better mousetraps

An article from Marketing Society caught my attention last week. In Triumph of a Better Ideology, the authors Holt and Cameron take a strategic look at the notion of launching the ‘next big thing’. 

‘Launching “the next big thing” – the innovative idea that resonates powerfully with consumers and takes off to establish a profitable new business – is the holy grail of managers and entrepreneurs alike.’

They argue though, that consumers often see innovation quite differently. 

How does ‘the big idea’ fit into human to human marketing?

While hundreds of thousands of pounds are poured into expensive marketing campaigns to launch new products, it’s compelling to see it’s brand employees who are starting to make waves as in-house influencers on Tik Tok and Instagram.

Inexpensive, raw, genuine videos shared by people we can relate to extolling the benefits of new products and services, often in a humorous way.

I wrote recently on Linked in that being early to market can feel a lot like being wrong. It can be a lonely place, searching out the next big thing.

Employee advocacy isn’t new now, but it was when we first launched the first iteration of our Togethr app (then called Qubist) back in 2013 – especially as we worked with with B2C brands as well as the more established B2B advocacy route.

Resonating with customers

This article resonated with me because while getting your own people to share to social media may seem unpolished, bold and a bit ‘folksy’ as the Guardian describes it, this can be exactly what resonates with customers.

An unconventional marketing approach – putting employees in the limelight instead of actors, allowing employees to push the post button instead of the marketing team heralds the cultural shift consumers are seeking; human conversation and interaction. 

After 18 months of pandemic lockdowns and curtailed living, interaction with others is striking a chord. 

Read the full article here.