This article start off with a demonstration of how one company completely dominated their field - while selling a product that was exactly the same as their competition.
Second, you'll see that it takes no engineering, R&D, or other expensive product development to capture enormous market shares. You'll get the 1-step solution towards the end. But to appreciate it, you'll have to see what this "mythical" company did to make such brutally effective advertising.
Here's The Challenge Many Businesses Face
Non-differentiated products (AKA commodities) like frass, insects, cell cultured meat, industrial equipment, office supplies, and pet food, have always been at serious risk.
(In spite of currently positive market trends)
A risk of consumers being unable to instantly tell similar-looking products apart - which causes them to primarily buy the cheapest thing.
It’s sort of like…
Well...
Men, who are out picking up women.
(Sorry for the juvenile analogy. Unfortunately it’s somewhat fitting)
If we can’t tell any meaningful difference between two women, then we’re going to hit on the one we think we’re more likely to pick up.
‘cause that’s the course of action with…
…the least risk of pain and humiliation.
For any prospect shopping for products like yours, that “risk of pain” is going to be price. The consumer has to be able to FEEL the difference between offers in order for one company to get the sale.
Quick warning: It’s 100% irrelevant that the marketing department knows the difference. What matters is the prospect’s inability to tell products apart at the exact moment of purchase.
The Problem With Undifferentiated Products:
To compete, biz owners must lower their prices until they’re either bleeding money or only JUST keeping their head above water.
Once a company has to compete on price, it doesn't necessarily go bankrupt, it ooooooooonly just stays afloat, driving the owner absolutly bonkers.
Something that’s happened to every commodity product in history. At this point, only the one company with the most economics of scale will make money.
How To Escape The Commodity Trap?
Today you’ll see a specific example of how to tap into a primal sales trigger that is wildly effective.
(The link points to an advertising test I did that 4.2Xed conversions)
A sales trigger that has helped differentiate commodity products for a long time.
A sales trigger many marketers simply don’t know how to harness.
Anyways…
Here’s A Real Life Demonstration Of This “Primal Sales Trigger”
To fully illustrate how a single company completely DOMINATED the cigarette market to the tune of more than 40% of sales worldwide…
(More than their ten closest competitors combined)
...there are two things we need to establish first.
- The brand in question makes the exact same cigarette as everyone else. There is nothing about them that separates them from any other cigarette. They did not have to add technical features or clever engineering to their product. Their entire success rested on “sneaky” marketing.
- You’re going to have to roleplay for a minute. Because odds are you’re not an ideal prospect for a cigarette ad, so in order to fully appreciate the raw power of this sales approach, you’ll have to dig into some empathy.
So dig into the feelings of the average American man in the early 70’s.
A man who longs for a better life.
For a life with more money.
A life that is now being overtaken by incredible and rapid advances in technology - bringing the third world out of abject poverty at a rate that’s starting to threaten your job.
A job that has to pay for your wife who’s at home all day.
A job that has to pay for school for your two children.
A job that also has to pay the mortgage.
Dreams of a life where you’re above the spread of communism…
Where you’re no longer scared of the threat of global nuclear destruction…
Where you’re no longer feeling oppressed by increasing government encroachment on your personal freedoms.
A life of freedom to roam and do as you please.
“Become him” for a minute, and you’ll discover something that might change the sales and marketing trajectory of your company forever.
Because…
It’s Time To Go For A Ride Into The Heart Of Manliness
So imagine yourself as that yearning, American man we just talked about…
And imagine you came across the following ad for the first time in your life:
A cowboy. Rugged looks. Hard-working.
Tattoos in plain sight on the back of his hand.
Playing with fire.
Clearly the subconscious message is: Marlboro makes you manly as all hell.
That was Just The First Marlboro Ad…
… now check out what they did NEXT:
Where there’s a Man, there’s a Marlboro….
It’s hard to state the macho appeal more directly.
Check out the subliminal messaging in the layout.
Notice how the headline was typeset to pull on the machismo power of their cigarettes with “Man” and “Marlboro” capitalized.
The headline is actually offset in a weird way, such that the words Man and Marlboro pulls the reader’s attention from the top right corner, to the center of attention.
Notice how your gaze is magnetically pulled in a very specific direction.
To what the advertiser wants you to notice: The tuxedo, the admiring woman, and the cigarette that ties it all together.
Quick Warning About The Copy Marlboro Used
This ad is SO blatant in its messaging that it’s operating on the verge of backfiring.
It’s too “on the nose”.
The REASON this worked for Marlboro, in spite of this blatant violation of common sense…
(No, a burning pile of dried leaves wrapped in white paper won’t make you a “Real Man”™)
…is that the brand had already established an idea in the public that their cigarettes were somehow different from every other cigarette out there.
But they started from an established belief in the American population that smoking was in some way a manly thing to do, and then turned that belief up to 11.
Once they succeeded with THAT, they were able to keep riding that appeal to the extent they did in the ad directly above.
If the very first ad started with “Where there’s a Man there’s a Marlboro'', they’d probably be laughed out of town.
Notice how it took zero engineering…
Zero product development…
Zero bonuses, add-ons and premiums…
Zero ANYTHING to scoop up 40% of all sales worldwide.
Because of the emotional appeal of this particular campaign.
The Point?
Whether we like it or not, advertisers have yet to find anything that pulls more sales than linking your product -in a credible manner- with your prospect’s innermost desired identity.
Next Steps
Getting your best marketer to call up your best clients should quickly give you what you need to start using appeals to identity in your ads.
Without your prospects ever noticing - and without them even objecting to it.
Just know this:
Your product does SOMETHING for best clients.
Something you might not notice, yet.
SOMETHING that could make for a wildly successful appeal for your print ads, event booths, website, LinkedIn advertising, sales letters, pitches and video presentations.
You won’t be advertising machismo - your clients desire a different identity.
But there is probably a version of righteous responsibility…
Of being an honest and pragmatic man…
An appeal of working diligently in the service of the future…
...Being a conscientious entrepreneur…
...An identity as a problem solver for the future of mankind…
...Or as a beacon of hope for a greener future…
...That you could use.
NOTE: I can’t tell you which exact identity to appeal to.
Your psychographic research tells you everything you need to know.
As long as your marketers know how to tease out these kinds of deeply held secrets, and your marketers know how to put these secret longings into your advertising (without being crass) you WILL see yourself attracting a higher quality of customer, and you WILL see the ROI on your advertising shoot up.
Because selling to identity is the closest you get to marketing’s holy grail.
And THAT is how you escape the commodity trap.
Other Resources
This link takes you to the complete overview of articles covering Primal Sales Triggers
The articles cover four main topics of interest:
- Psychological reasons why this works as well as it does
- See the exact numbers and marvel at what a difference primal advertising makes
- Get your very own checklists, tool kits and implementation guides to DIY all of this (if that’s your thing)
- “Spy” on other companies (perhaps even your competition) and discover how they implement these primal marketing tactics.
If you’re just in the mood for even MORE examples of Identity Based Marketing, then click the link below
>>> Click here if you want to see more instructive case studies
(I’ve only cut these examples to keep this article short. They’re still highly instructive for those who are curious about other ways to use identity to sell)
If you have questions then...
Click the link above to see exactly why such a call is NOT going to be a painful pitch fest - but a 100% useful conversation that WILL help you make progress.