3 examples of marketing that cut through the noise

This article was originally published in the MarketingSherpa email newsletter.

In our latest podcast excerpt, we discuss “the white noise that drowns out our message” and how marketers should review their campaigns in a way that mimics the customer’s actual experience:

How else can your brand stand out in a noisy world? In this article, we bring you specific examples that worked for your peers.

First, an online music platform that created an eye-catching URL to target its much bigger competition. Then a software company that created a brand mascot for a consistent and memorable presence that stood out from the noise. And finally, a sports and fitness instruction company that created targeted offers to break through the noise and reach specific communities.

Quick Case Study #1: Eye-catching URL helps online music platform sign up 6,000 schools

RockOutLoud.live is an online music platform designed to help music instructors teach more effectively.

“We are much better than Zoom. So how does David go up against Goliath? I registered ikilledZOOM.com and have signed up almost 6,000 music schools since the launch (July 4, 2020),” said Mike Grande, Owner, RockOutLoud.

Creative Sample #1: Competitor-targeted microsite with eye-catching URL

Quick Case Study #2: Software company’s brand mascot helps increase conversion rate 8%

“We wanted something that would be a consistent presence in all of our marketing, so we decided on a brand mascot. Why a Yeti? Because both workplace happiness and wild snow creatures are not just myths – they come to life with Motivosity,” said Logan Mallory, VP of Marketing, Motivosity.

Creative Sample #2: Branded mascot on software company’s homepage

Carl the Yeti lives on all the software company’s website pages and marketing, taking customers on a journey to showcase its products and serve as its spokesperson. “Had we not been curious, we might have ended up simply using a stock image or other drawing, but we wanted something more memorable and unique,” Mallory said.

The employee engagement software has seen a 65 percent increase in engagement and increased conversion rate by eight percent since re-branding with Carl the Yeti.

Quick Case Study #3: Sports and fitness instruction company embraces new cause marketing practice during pandemic, reduces churn by 4x with members staying up to 70% longer

Like gyms everywhere, P.volve was hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions. It responded by making a quick pivot to deliver its studio classes online, extend its free trial, and offer a 30% discount on all its memberships and products.

But the team knew the pandemic was creating hardships for many people, and it wanted to give back to its communities. So, it decided to take a cause marketing approach and use personalized offers to reward customer groups who are particularly hard-hit by the pandemic. The company wanted to elevate its brand, reach out to new potential customers, and build greater customer lifetime value (CLTV).

The team needed a way to prevent fraud by ensuring only eligible customers could redeem the offer. “If you’re giving a deep discount to a segment of your audience and you have no idea how it’s being redeemed, you’re putting your entire company at risk,” said Amy Martin, EVP of marketing, P.volve.

To implement its strategy, the team first identified customer groups that were well-aligned with its brand and needed support: students, teachers, first responders, and healthcare workers. It then created Education and Health Heroes discounts and implemented them with an identity marketing platform that uses an opt-in process to verify customer eligibility and collect their data.

Knowing the offers were secure enabled P.volve to give these customers an exclusive 30% discount on products, as well as online and in-studio services.

Creative Sample #3: Landing page with targeted discount for medical professionals and first responders

P.volve promoted the offers heavily through email marketing and customized landing pages. It used language and visuals that spoke directly to each group, and marketed the offers through organic social channels, SMS/direct messaging platforms, and media outreach.

“Our identity marketing programs were a great way for us to show up for our customers and give them easy access to content that will retain them in our ecosystem,” Martin said.

The Education and Healthcare Heroes discounts drove new subscriptions and generated tremendous loyalty. Compared to P.volve’s average, customers who joined through these programs are churning up to four times less and remaining members up to 70% longer.

The programs also generated significant goodwill and brand awareness, which activated the strong word of mouth inherent in identity marketing programs.

In addition, the offers give P.volve the customer data it needs for ongoing nurture programs that enhance CLTV. “We can now collect zero-party data we can use to continue personalizing our messages and offerings based on how our customers are using their memberships,” Martin said.

“It’s important to understand where the state of marketing is today: it’s one where we’re bombarding consumers with 5,000-plus messages a day. The biggest challenge for marketers is, okay, how do I get the attention of the consumer? How do I cut through a lot of the marketing noise that's out there? What we have found is that what some of the really good brands like P.volve have done is develop messaging that resonates with who you are and celebrates your sense of identity. In this case, ‘I am a nurse’, or ‘I am a teacher,’” said Sai Koppala, CMO, SheerID (P.volve’s identity marketing platform).

From March 27 - April 3, 2020, SheerID surveyed 2,399 people in the consumer tribes that the coronavirus has pushed to the front lines or impacted disproportionately: nurses, first responders, teachers, college students, seniors, and military members. The survey revealed that after receiving a personalized offer, more than 90% of all the consumer tribes would share it with others they knew were eligible for it.

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