Cutting Through the Clutter

Every day, people are exposed to thousands of marketing messages across various channels, both online and offline. Despite this constant bombardment, most of these ads fail to capture attention and go completely unnoticed.

How do you stand out and get noticed in today’s environment? What types of marketing messages are the most effective? How can you maximize the amount you spend to ensure it has a real impact? John Wanamaker (1838-1922), often regarded as a pioneer in marketing, once said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” This quote still resonates with many credit unions today.

Here are six approaches you can apply to your marketing and advertising to cut through the clutter and stand out.

Use Humor

Using humor in ads can engage viewers by making them look longer and think about the content. It can establish an emotional connection with the viewer audience and become more memorable. Humor comes from the unexpected. But be careful, too much humor can work against you.

Entertain

People want to be entertained. Ads that entertain have better recall and provide a sense of enjoyment for the audience. Although they need not be product focused, they can serve to reinforce connection with the brand.

Shock with Content and Imagery

To grab someone’s attention, using shocking content and stark imagery can make your message stand out from the rest. Shock advertising is designed to raise awareness of specific issues and motivate the audience to take action. However, if not used judiciously, it can create controversy. It should be used cautiously.

Avoid What Everyone Else is Doing

Financial services ads tend to communicate similar messages and use the same visuals, often creating boredom and advertising “numbness”. The use of fiction can turn messages into stories. You don’t always need to be selling directly.

Tell a Truly Compelling Story

Everyone loves a story, especially one that they can relate to. Storytelling marketing uses narrative techniques to convey a message, evoke emotions, and engage with the audience. Instead of simply promoting a product or service, storytelling marketing tells a story that captures audience attention and creates a memorable experience.

Utilize a Broad Mix of Channels and Media

Your audience uses a variety of media to get their information and so should you. The chances of reaching your target audience are enhanced when you mix channels and media that includes print, in-branch, digital, social media, events, website, radio, TV, and outdoor.

At Bergstrom Consulting Services, we’re experts in crafting effective marketing strategies for smaller credit unions. The BCS team can help you build marketing programs and campaigns that will help get you noticed—from growing your membership, to growing product usage, to refreshing your brand—and always moving the needle. 

To learn more about how Bergstrom Consulting Services can help you cut through the marketing clutter, contact Alan.