how the best advertising campaigns tap into the story of the underdog

Everyone loves cheering for the little guy. In this three-minute emotional marketing lesson video, emotional marketing expert Graeme Newell shows how some of the world’s best advertisers tap our love of the underdog, then attach that feeling of transcendence to everyday products.

What is customer focus? It’s how the best advertising campaigns use core emotional drivers to connect with their customers on a significant, meaningful level – and Football provides a perfect place to do all that and more. As Graeme Newell points out in this short marketing video, Football fans love the game for a lot of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with the sport itself. The idea of a scrappy, tough kid working harder than everyone else and achieving fame and glory lies at the core of the experience.

Positioning a brand to fit that same attitude is the essence of what we do here at 602 Communications. We hone in on the best advertising campaigns and best television ads to find out what your customers love. Football doesn’t take a lot of special gear.  It’s a sport where even the poorest kids can triumph. Mediocre advertisers will seize upon the glory and fury of Football, but the best advertising campaigns will show the self-made man who clawed his way to the top by sheer force of will. With this focus acquired, we can start to cultivate a real relationship with the customer.

What is customer relationship marketing? It’s how customer-focused brands show that they share the same values and passions as their customers. Football fans are passionate about the Cinderella story – rags-to-riches paved with blood, sweat and tears. Customer relationship marketing is honing in on that feeling. Deep in our hearts, most of us believe we’re an undiscovered star, and that we work harder and longer than most people.  Maybe we too can get the big promotion, find love, or achieve greatness. The best television ads are the ones that leave the customer thinking: “Yea, they get me”

Once a brand has customer focus and customer relationship marketing at its core, it can begin to hand its brand over to the customer entirely. Positioning a brand by letting your most diehard fans decide what you stand for is as close to marketing perfection as it gets. When you have become a reflection of how the customer feels about themselves, all the powerful emotions they feel for the sports they love will be passed on to your brand.

Nike’s mastery of this technique is one of the reasons it is the household name it is today. It’s elegant in its simplicity: build a brand on a universal human emotion and let the customers do the rest. People see the Nike brand and think: “That’s totally me! Unlike everyone else, I had to work to get where I am today. I work harder, longer and stronger than those sissies.” And we’ve been saying the same thing to ourselves for thousands of years – it’s a truly universal human emotion.

So to recap: what is customer focus? It’s positioning a brand around the customer. The best advertising campaigns are the ones that are built from the customer up, not the product down.

What is customer relationship marketing? It’s making the best television ads, and whatever else you can bring to the table, all revolve around building a rapport between your brand and the deepest emotions your customers feel.

Master these two techniques and you’ll have a brand that truly belongs to the customer.

 

Transcript of ” How the Best Advertising Campaigns Tap Into the Story of the Underdog” by 602 Communications Emotional Marketing Expert Graeme Newell

Hi I’m Graeme Newell. Soccer, or Football as its called in Europe, is the most popular sport on earth. Why are marketers so hungry to plant their brand identity right in the middle of this passion? Because football’s brand story is one of the most appealing in advertising.

It’s the Cinderella story – the everyday man who rises up and achieves greatness. It’s the warm feeling of Forrest Gump, who started from the simplest roots and lived his dreams.

It’s the Braveheart story of the common man who rose up and freed a nation. Guinness taps into football’s powerful Cinderella story to win the fan’s love. Football doesn’t take a lot of special gear.  It’s a sport where even the poorest kids can triumph. All it takes is dedication and a fire in the belly, and this is a dream that most all of us want to believe about ourselves. Guinness shows us that they share our passion.  They believe in our dream, too.

This story of transcendence is the very heart of the spirit of football.  We see ourselves in that man.  Deep in our hearts, most of us believe we’re an undiscovered star, and that we work harder and longer than most people.  Maybe we too can get the big promotion, find love, or achieve greatness. In this Nike ad, everyday people literally storm the field, push the pros aside and step into the greatness of the common man.  This dream that anything is possible, is a universal desire.

This kind of brand approachability means football belongs to the everyday fan.  The best marketing isn’t about branding a product.  It’s about tapping the passion of an entire community. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when you’ve given your brand away, and it’s entirely owned by your fans.  I’m Graeme Newell and that’s emotional marketing.

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