New Approach: Increasing the Longevity of Impact From Your Marketing

Last month, I got a text from a customer about some Chubbies coasters we sent with his order...7 years ago.

Here are my 4 lessons from this experience with ideas for tactical application in your company:

1) The longevity and durability of this brand impact is 100000000000x that of a direct response conversion ad

One little thing we did stayed with someone for nearly a decade, potentially lasting longer than the shorts they purchased. That blows my mind.

If I were to do this again, I'd think more about whether any particular idea - not just in marketing or advertising, but across everything in the company - could earn the right to play a role in someone's life for 5, 7 or 10 years.

Tactical application: Keep optimizing for the immediate "Aha" moment that drives the digital word of mouth, but at the same time, start to consider how an idea can reverberate over a long period of time.


2) The dollars you spend can continue working for you for years.

At the time, it wasn't obvious that we should be spending money on these inserts. Drink umbrellas and 2 leather coasters? That's crazy. However, those dollars are still generating return today.

Tactical application: When presented with 2 capital allocation decisions with similar cost, you can use the potential for long term pay out as a filter.


3) Prompt, and shape, the word of mouth convo.

The worst possible word of mouth, of course, is 'yea i got a great deal, they were half off' because that is how you'll forever be thought of, and the only reason they'll buy is if you run a discount again. #doomloop

However, when your brand is interwoven into the use case your brand impacts in a positive way (e.g., coasters associated with time with friends on the weekends, or the iconic Lululemon bag for yoga classes), it perpetuates the brand message well beyond the money spent to make the coaster or yoga bag.

Tactical application: What is the use case your brand impacts in a positive way? How could you focus in on that use case to drive, and shape word of mouth.


4) The impact brands can have on their customers is way larger than I originally thought.

I undervalued the level of impact brands could have on customers. I assumed we were selling a good people liked, and they enjoyed the content we put out there. That's it. In my wildest dreams, I couldn't fathom being on someone's coffee table for 7 years.

The best part is this wasn't a one-off. I've gotten countless texts telling a similar story about the vintage baseball cards, Big League Chew, or bottle openers we sent with other orders.

Tactical application: If there's some truth to this, and the impact your brand can have on your audience's life is way bigger than just your product and your 'brand moments', it opens a world of possibility of things you can try.

The point isn't to start spending tons of money on order inserts. Rather, open your mind to what's possible.

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Hope this prompts some ideas around the company.

Have fun