The first of the Four Cornerstones of RHO (Real Human Optimization–a catchy abbreviation for “doing marketing”) is “Identify”.
It’s the simplest of the four, yet one that is often overlooked. What does “Identify” mean? Well… just what it says. Tell your potential customers what things are. The trick, however, is to do it in plain language. It’s not an “ebony-lacquered ceramic vessel for containing potable infused beverages”; it’s a “coffee cup; black”.
Step away from the hype and the BS and the buzzwords. Keep things clean, simple, and easy to understand. If you’re not sure how to label something, go back to the basics. Ask yourself “What would Grandma call it?”
A lot of “marketing experts” will insist that you need to be “cutting edge” with your descriptions–unique, bold, modern. Meanwhile, your customers are looking for “coffee cups”, and your “bean-infused beverage vessels” are sitting on a shelf, unsold.
This post first appeared on G+ 2018-09-22
Blaze is the founder of Redleaf Consulting. He started as a dishwasher at the age of 15, and worked his way up to Director of Marketing for a Sino-German joint venture in Jiangsu, China. He has over 25 years of experience in education, communication, and marketing.