How to market a flat subject?

From: Douglas Wilson <d.wilson_at_paradise.net.nz>
Date: Fri 27 Jul 2001 10:55:13 -0500

NICKI MANSFIELD <Nicki_Mansfield_at_StandardAero.ca> WROTE:

> I'd value your opinions on whether you, as
> members of the advertising population in general,
> believe I'd need to build on the high-tech end of
> aerospace products or whether such material could
> ever be considered sexy, if you will!

Nicky, you work for one of the world's most exciting,
glamorous and interesting industries - aviation. It's
not "flat stuff".

There is a "more exciting way" than boring technical
specification web sites. That is to focus your creative
strategy on the end benefit to your customers and their
customers of the things that you do - not just on the
technical benefits of your products. Never forget that
while technical buyers will do their technical checks
and make technical judgements, they are also human
beings. You know this already because you mention the
importance of face to face relationships in your
marketing.

"Aircraft wheels and brakes, de-icing equipment" -
that's the stuff that me and millions more depend on
whenever we fly. There's high drama locked up in it
and high emotion. Remember the feeling of waiting for
the rubber to hit the runway on landing and the brakes
to come on, particularly in harsh conditions.

I'd be looking for ways to release the drama which is
inherent in your product. One possibility is "extreme
operating conditions" when the de-icer, the brakes,
the wheels, the engines are put through their hardest
tests. I can envisage some exciting animation or live
action video on your site dramatising performance in
the extremes. Or you might focus on the emotional
context of flying with your family as a way of
dramatising the importance of your products' performance
and how seriously you take that performance. ("They
don't know about us. They don't care about us. But
we're vitally important to them.")

While you might not target passengers directly you
can influence manufacturers by stressing the benefits
to end users.

One final piece of advice, when looking for examples
that might inspire you, look outside your own industry
at best practice and think how you could be the
initiator for your industry in adapting it.

Douglas Wilson
Benland/Wilson & Associates Ltd
Web Strategy & Marketing
Wellington New Zealand
d.wilson_at_paradise.net.nz



Received on Fri Jul 27 2001 - 10:55:13 CDT