CEO and founder of Rooster Punk, Paul Cash, likes to focus on the human side of marketing – from emotional campaigns to entertaining audiences. He took to the stage at our recent InTech conference where he emphasised the need for consumerisation of B2B tech, while giving his top tips for great marketing.
#1 Be human
Consumers find it far more engaging when you market the problem rather than the solution, it can help drive an emotional response. However, as Paul finds, often very little time is spent articulating consumer problems to the market. Consider changing this up.
#2 The truth will out
In the last 10 years there’s been a push to inject a sense of purpose in our business. Watch out for the gap between what you say and what you do on the ground, he says. It’s important to have a filter to make sure content is authentic and believable, and is not just driving response by emotion.
#3 Find your cause
Move away from just what your product does and towards its cause, advises Paul. He says: “If you are a purposeful value-driven organisation you can command up to 40% more value in the market.” Fed up of losing out to the ‘accidental hero’ Apple, Samsung reframed its cause. It ran a campaign, which won B2B Marketing’s best SMB campaign last year, which focuses on its long battery life and indestructible glass. The message was that it creates more good days at work thanks to reliable technology.
#4 Go story
Every marketing consultant in the past five years is now a storyteller, says Paul. People buy stories as much as products, so compete on your stories. From your origins to your brand purpose, mining those narratives creates valuable content.
#5 Entertain people
We have to think of ourselves as entertainment brands, says Paul. “Experiences help your audience feel something, engage and remember.” Tell your agency you want to add some entertainment to your brief, he advises.
#6 Get Emotional
“People don’t just want to buy from you. They want to buy into you,” says Paul. Give customers compelling content that is authentic and has an emotional narrative.
#7 Mind games
Paul is convinced that 90% of people buying tech live in a permanent state of fear. Your job, he says, is not to market in the fear zone. Take those buyers somewhere different. Make them feel brave – focus on buyer emotion, personal interest and motivation to drive engagement.
#8 Have some fun
B2B is boring and dull, right? No, says Paul, it can be whatever it wants it to be. “You have a responsibility to get away from the day job to work out what fun means to you, this will help your brand.”
#9 Play bigger
Don’t accept the status quo! Paul advises companies to reframe the category they’re in – whether they’re number 200 or two in the market.
#10 Be brave
“There are no great award-winning campaigns without having a really good client,” says Paul. In order to push the B2B market forward we need to take more risks. “The magic happens outside your comfort zone,” he says.