Having a ‘big’ idea at the heart of your marketing strategy is the only way to ensure that your target audiences will take any notice of your campaign. But how often do you actually create an engaging big idea that they cannot resist?
What is a big idea?
A big idea is what underpins your marketing campaign strategy. It helps to inform and determine which marketing channels you use to promote your message – such as advertising, PR or social media. Many channels might be efficient at communicating to the audience, but only some may be ideal for the campaign’s particular idea. Indeed, the media used can be the making of a great idea!
Key principles to creating your big idea
1. Understand exactly what your objective is
Your objective sets the benchmark for your campaign. Your big idea will form once you really know what you’re trying to achieve. It also acts as a yardstick upon which you will measure the campaign’s success – were the goals and objectives met, if not, why not?
2. Know your customer
“You need to really understand your customer and that requires ‘empathy’. You’ve got to become the customer and imagine what is going to get them to take notice, what language is going to get them to remember your message, and take action,” Ajaz Ahmed tells us. Ajaz is best known for being the Founder of Freeserve, which was once the UK’s largest Internet Company. He now has a number of investments and his latest venture is Legal365.com. A successful entrepreneur, he knows a thing or two about creating big ideas, and also says it’s ok to ‘borrow’ ideas and adapt them for your campaigns:
“Don’t walk around the world blind,” continued Ajaz. “We’re bombarded by marketing messages every day in newspapers, TV, radio, the internet and shops. Look at them and learn from them, some clever people have come up with these ideas and there’s nothing wrong with borrowing some ideas and adapting them for your marketing message”.
3. Find out what your audience’s primary need is (consumer need or business need)
People have a range of needs/motivations that act on their decision to purchase. Individuals and business professionals buy things for a combination of different rational, emotional and psychological reasons, in different ways, within different time scales. For example, in B2B, triggers can include the need to save money, change suppliers, save time. Does your product/service fill that need? Can your big idea demonstrate this?
4. Match the message with the audience
You need to be absolutely clear why your target audience will believe your message/proposition. What is the support for it? Can you engage them in a conversation across their favoured media channels i.e. twitter / television / radio? How can you interact with them? Get them to participate? Sample your product/service? Find out more information?
“Don’t make your message too complicated, you only get a second to grab someone’s attention; and if the customer has to work something out, you’ve lost them”, recommends Ajaz.
“There is no magic formula; some people understand customers, other people don’t. Use observation and learn from other companies. Make sure your message is simple with a reason why the customer should remember you”.
Marketing courses from Ripley Training
We run a variety of Marketing Courses that can help you come up with low-cost, high-impact ideas for your small business . To find out more, why not give us a call on 01423-861-122? Or fill in our short contact form – we’d love to help you!
