While it’s important to have a list of goals for your business, it’s equally important to be honest about what is currently so, and frank about changes that need to be made. Oftentimes, simply acknowledging obstacles can be a great foundation for an improved business strategy.
Turning obstacles into Marketing Strategies is nothing new, but is often overlooked by marketers, and companies rushing in to do the work without first doing the work.
A classic example of not only acknowledging the obstacle, but executing an entire advertising campaign around took place in 1962 when Avis was searching for a new advertising campaign to help it gain ground on its arch rival, Hertz. Instead of some slick advertising designed to out-
Hertz Hertz, they ingeniously came up with the idea to acknowledge their #2 position, and trumpet their commitment to “trying super hard as a result.”
The “When You’re only No. 2, you try harder, Or Else” tagline was immediately effective at breaking through and showing a humanity and humility that was instantly likeable and relatable. Within a year, Avis went from losing $3.2 million to earning $1.2 million, and quickly gained ground on the industry leader Hertz.
Should you hang out your flaws, issues or problems for your audience to see? Not necessarily, but don’t ever underestimate the exercise of identifying the obstacles and framing up the questions around them as a sound strategy. You can then address what matters most with a high level of precision and effectiveness.
Only when we are honest and ask the tough questions that present the obstacles directly do we identify EXACTLY where we need to be. If we skip this “thinking” often the marketing strategy lacks the vision to make an impact…and perfectly illustrates the classic metaphor of the tail wagging the dog.
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