Picture yourself in the local supermarket. As you push your trolley through the aisles, past the tins of baked beans and mushy peas, what do you see on the shelves? You’ll likely have a vivid image of some of the top-name brands; the striking and colourful products that catch your eye with their strong logos and the ones that are top of the game in product marketing. You won’t think of faceless boxes or plain tins merging into a wash of grey and beige. You won’t think of the products that are boring. Why do you think that is?
A boring product is just that – boring. It doesn’t matter how much you advertise the item and say how brilliant it is, if the product doesn’t spark interest, no one’s going to look at it, never mind buy it. However, when you think about it, most businesses don’t produce awe-inspiring, snazzy products, do they? It seems that a lot of manufacturing companies tend to either create relatively ordinary goods, or else produce component parts for other products. This must surely make it challenging for brands to devise a product marketing strategy that makes them unique. So, what should you do if you think your product is dull and forgettable? Fortunately, there are ways you can turn even the most boring product into a marketing success.
Rebrand
It might sound complicated and a bit scary, but rebranding your product or company can actually pay off in the long-term. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone – you took a chance when you first launched your product, so why not be daring again?
Think about giving your product an overhaul, either by updating it to align with current trends or consumer needs, or by giving it an entirely new identity. Does your product still reflect what your customers want? Has the market changed? How can you make your brand more unique against your competitors? Do you have new goals? Asking yourself these questions will help you to establish whether or not you need to change direction in your product marketing strategy and consider a rebrand.
Not only will rebranding your product give it a fresh boost that will keep it relevant in the current market, it will also help you to connect with a new audience and set you apart from your competitors.
Tell your story
There are two drink companies, both specialising in a similar type of beer to each other. One of the company’s websites provides key features and information, such as payment options, where the beer is stocked, and how to contact the firm. The other website has all these details, but also offers a short description about how the beer’s ingredients are based on an old family recipe from when the owner’s ancestors arrived in the area seeking a new life.
Obviously, the latter product is much more interesting, but why? The company has used storytelling as an effective product marketing strategy. Even if your product doesn’t have such incredible beginnings, there will always be a story to tell that will add a human interest to your brand and transform it into a marketing success.
Think of the moment you first thought about devising your product – what was the inspiration behind it? No matter how trivial, your product’s story can benefit from well-written, engaging content.
Stand out
One of the most important elements of brand marketing is that your product stands out from the crowd. Ideally, you want your product to be noticed above any competition in the market, but how do you go about that?
You need to determine what makes your brand unique; something it has that your competitors don’t. Even if your product is pretty generic and seemingly uninteresting, there are ways you can make it sound more exciting, or at least entice your audience into wanting more. A slick website design overhaul that utilises eye-catching graphics, a rebranding of your company logo, a funny video you post on social media that goes viral – these are just some examples of how you can help your product to stand out and ensure it turns heads.
The methods you use to individualise your product are limited only by your imagination.
Engagement
If your audiences aren’t responding to big, flashy advertising campaigns, perhaps you need to look at making your brand more personable and ‘real’.
When trying to determine a successful product marketing strategy, it’s easy to get caught up in a restricted bubble of only your company and nothing else. Rather than projecting the spotlight onto your brand, why not look at shining it on your customers or your community instead? You could create an ongoing campaign where you reward loyal customers with various free gifts or exclusive promotions or establish a relationship with a charitable cause.
Using content or gestures to engage with people can help your brand to make meaningful connections over time.
Finally …
Nobody notices a boring product, so it’s crucial that yours sparks interest. Thankfully, there are ways to bring your brand back to life with clever product marketing tactics; whether that be small tweaks to your web content or an entire rebranding process. With the right strategies, you can turn a boring product into a marketing success.
If you would like more advice on product marketing, such as rebranding, online content, and web design, contact our team of professionals today.
