Great marketing always boils down to one thing: problem-solving. That’s it: what exactly are we trying to solve for? If we can’t identify the problem, we can’t create the best possible tools to overcome it. Not to be negative, but there’s always a problem. Got a great and shiny new product? The problem is making sure enough interested people hear about it without blowing your budget. Want to create an emotional brand campaign? The problem is that not enough people are currently feeling (insert desired emotion here) about your brand and you need to change that. See? Problems.
Oh sure, you could just as easily go with “opportunities,” but let’s be honest: everyone in the marketing food chain from brands to agencies to consumers can easily grasp a more concrete problem/solution scenario; “opportunities” can get fuzzy. This doesn’t mean the creative output has to be so literal, far from it, but the problem must be addressed and baked in.
For example, let’s say a brand is briefing agency partners on a product launch. The “opportunity” is to share this wonderful product with the world — or, “generate awareness,” as it is often described on the creative brief. Well, there are a lot of ways to address that opportunity, from public relations to brand stunts to influencers to, you name it. Keeping the window that wide open may help generate some impressive ideas, but is the brand ready and willing to act on them? And will these ideas add up to an effective marketing strategy that fits the budget? Not usually. So, let’s look at this again with my super optimistic “problem-first lens.” The brand wants to launch a new product. The problem we need to solve for might just be something like this: How in the hell do we get people interested enough to think that our product is different and better than similar ones? Because unless you’re Apple or Tesla, you’re likely facing parity. Simply identifying the problem automatically changes and tightens the creative process. Now the agency partners are concepting with a goal — separating the product from the herd; creative teams dig into the product, concepts take aim, campaigns find that common thread; even media channels can be selected specifically to best amplify the precision of the message. And this doesn’t mean the work has to be “small” or lose impact. Consider Sony’s launch of its Bravia LCD TV a decade ago. In a category teeming with parity, the Sony team dug into what might possibly help set their product apart, what might solve the problem of ‘how do we get people to feel our new product is any different from the herd.’ Their answer: incredible color. Solving for that specific problem led to one of the most powerful and celebrated ads of all time featuring a million colorful super balls bounding through the streets of San Francisco. Take a look, it’s great.
So please, bring us your problems. We wouldn’t have it any other way.