I want you to picture a 2016 BMW. Nice wheels. You would absolutely consider buying that car. Now picture a 1980 BMW. You're less likely to buy that car. Why? Well, every year since 1928, BMW engineers have been improving on their design. Then, when the timing was right they released a new and improved model to the market. BMW addresses trends, social change, philosophy, and other variables to appeal to potential customers. The good people behind one of the finest cars in the world change everything from the body style to the type of lights that brighten a purchaser's dash.
In this video we see the evolution of the BMW 7 Series.
BMW vs Your Business
Now that you're done dreaming of what kind of car you're going to buy next, tap into how you're going to afford it. All businesses function like BMW. If you run a nightclub you need to change up decor from time to time, add CTA promotions to your already established nightly brands, and from time-to-time throw in some controversy to get the people talking. If you run a restaurant, you need to be changing your menu, offering specials, and giving certain groups of people special promotions. For water parks, you need to offer new games, better food, more exciting attractions, and cool theme nights.
In short, you have to offer something new or you will be perceived as old, antiquated, and the people will be less likely to respond. How many BMWs do you think you'd see on the road today if they stuck with the old model?
Consistency in Change
Now, that's not to say you should be taking all of your profits and dumping them into big changes. Small modifications, while staying true to branding should do it, with the occasional big "holy hell" promotion. Think about the iPhone. It's fundamentally the same design since the beginning; apps on the touch screen, a home button, and a place to plug-in your headphones. They changed the body, and made it more powerful. The holy hell moments were the screen at first, then high speed connectivity, the App Store, a front facing camera, FaceTime, and so on.
A great case study to reference is a water park we work with. To address the concerns of stagnant content, perceived value, and bringing in new customers, a small promotion was created for nearly every day of the week:
Mondays: Marvel Mondays. Kids in Marvel superhero clothing get a discount.
Tuesdays: 2-for-1 Tuesdays. I'm sure I don't need to explain that one.
Wednesdays: Wonderfully Wet. Extended hours accommodating new customers.
Fridays: Fitness Fridays. Discount at the gate with a gym membership, and yoga.
Sundays: Sunset. An 18+ promotion after hours, and a completely new audience.
Couple these promotions with watermelon eating contests, pony rides, gaming stations, DJs at pool side, dance lessons, country days, mascots, and volleyball tournaments, and you can quickly see how the public could get excited about the park again.
Advertising
Not only is this good for business, but it's good for advertising as well. With fresh concepts comes fresh content. That's a very important principal in the age of digital communication.
Yes, showing your quality product or service off to the world is necessary and absolutely a piece of the puzzle. However, showing off original concepts helps attract new attention to your business. But please remember, that attention span is short, which is why you must always be plotting your next small idea.
I'm not talking about overnight success here. But, imagine if you ran a sports bar that came up with a new flavour of wings, and a new tasty burger each month. The promotions around both of the concepts are limitless, and your customers will eventually catch on to what you're doing, then they'll crave the next announcement.
Change ... it's good.
If you need help with your advertising, let’s talk. Written by: Jay Hall - Chief Strategist