Marketing is evolving at breakneck speed, and more than ever before has there been an urgent need to find a balance between lightness and depth.
I chose a provocative title,”The unbearable lightness of marketing”, inspired by the famous novel by Milan Kundera because I want to invite you to reflect.
How can we dance in this labyrinth of ephemeral content without losing the rhythm of our authenticity?
The paradox of lightness
Marketing is constantly looking for new ways to capture attention in a world overloaded with stimuli.
Brevity, directness, virality: these are the mantras that echo in meeting rooms.
But in this frantic race to levity lies an insidious danger.
If, on the one hand, short and captivating contents can attract like moths to light, on the other hand, they risk falling into the void of insignificance, losing the value and substance necessary to build lasting relationships with the public.
The digital ecosystem is pervaded by content that, while visually seductive, does not offer any intellectual or emotional nourishment.
This approach risks transforming marketing into an ephemeral game of mirrors, where attention is captured at the blink of an eye, but vanishes without leaving a trace in the recipient's memory.
The urgency to create content that captures attention quickly also raises a crucial question: at what cost?
The Pepsi case in 2017
Consider the case of Pepsi and its 2017 campaign with Kendall Jenner. The company focused on viral and light content to address complex social issues: social protest movements.
The commercial showed Jenner leaving a photo shoot to join an unspecified protest, ending with her offering a can of Pepsi to a cop, apparently resolving tensions.
The campaign was clearly designed to be viral and easy to share on social media. Initially, it generated a huge spike in online engagement, but for all the wrong reasons. The public reacted negatively, accusing Pepsi of trivializing serious and complex protest movements.
The consequences were swift and ruinous:
- Pepsi withdrew the commercial just one day after its publication.
- The company had to apologize publicly, admitting that it had 'missed the spot'.
- The brand suffered significant image damage, with many consumers expressing their desire to boycott Pepsi products.
- Instead of increasing brand affinity, the campaign created distance between Pepsi and its younger target audience.
In 2023, Pepsi launched a new global campaign called “Rise Up Baby” focused on positivity and optimism, demonstrating how the brand has learned from past experience to create content that is more authentic and in line with public values.
This case shows how an approach that focuses everything on virality and lightness, without considering the depth and sensitivity of the context, can be not only ineffective, but even harmful to the brand.
The search for perfect alchemy
To prevent marketing from becoming unsustainably light, it's crucial to find the perfect alchemy between directness and depth. By now we all know some strategies for elevating our communication that can work:
Authentic storytelling: intertwining authentic narratives that touch the right chords of our audience. Lightness must not preclude emotional intensity.
For example, Airbnb has created a series of mini-documentaries that tell stories of hosts and travelers, combining the brevity of the format with the emotional depth of human experiences.
Educational content: offering content that informs and educates, not just entertains. Practical guides, tutorials, and insights are valuable tools.
A practical suggestion may be to: Create a series of “How to” infographics that condense complex information in an attractive visual format, offering immediate value to the target audience.
Quality engagement: promote meaningful interactions with the public. Questions, polls and discussions can create a deeper dialogue that enriches both the brand and the community.
A concrete idea may be to launch a series of 'AMA' (Ask Me Anything) on LinkedIn or Instagram, inviting industry experts to answer questions from the target audience in real time.
I could continue researching and exposing strategies that are certainly all valid and important, but there is one element that underlies all this: CREATIVITY.
Without this spark of originality, even the most sophisticated strategies risk becoming empty formulas.
It's like cooking a dish: you can have the perfect recipe with measured doses, but without that personal touch, that pinch of passion, the dish will always be... imperfect.
How to stimulate creativity in marketing?
Good question. The answer is not simple!
There is no universally applicable magic formula, as each creative mind works in a unique way.
Given that creativity, by its nature, escapes rigid definitions and ready-made solutions, I can share with you some strategies that I have personally experimented with and found effective in my creative journey.
I present these ideas not as absolute truths, but as possible sources of inspiration for your journey into the world of creativity. So here are, on tiptoe, some tips born from my experience:
1. Practice lateral thinking: dedicate time every week to creative thinking exercises. For example, take a common item and think of 10 unconventional uses for using it.
2. Create a small archive of ideas: Keep a diary or an App where you can write down ideas, inspirations and daily observations. Review these notes periodically, even after some time, to find unexpected connections.
3. Collaborate and create relationships: organize brainstorming sessions not only with those who do the same job as you but also with professionals from different sectors. The diversity of perspectives can generate innovative ideas.
4. Immerse yourself in nature: find intimate contact with the elements of the natural landscape that are most suitable for you, be it sea or mountains, to draw on a spiritual dimension that opens the mind to the depth of thought.
5. Refugees in art: Take a cultural break as often as you can because art in all its forms stimulates critical thinking and the senses. And emotions are an essential component of the creative process.
The Power of Conscious Creativity
Creativity is the beacon that must illuminate communication, today more than ever.
But it must be guided by a compass of clear intent and a deep understanding of our audience.
The campaigns that leave their mark are those that combine originality and relevance, managing to be as light as a feather but as incisive as a diamond.
'The unbearable lightness of marketing' it's not just a challenge, but an invitation to reinvent the way we communicate.
Learning to dance on the thin thread that separates lightness and depth can transform our marketing strategies, making them not only more effective, but also capable of withstanding the test of time.
In the end, it's all about finding the right blend of ingredients.
A bit of promptness, a bit of depth, a good dose of skills and authenticity, a pinch of intuition and that magical touch of uniqueness that only each of us can give.
And you, what do you think? What ingredient would you add to this marketing alchemy?
Your unique vision may be just what's missing to complete this formula.