These inspiring TED lectures provide a glimpse into ways to think “outside of the box” about marketing. Each presenter is a leader in their respective field and approaches the topic in a unique way. These tips and strategies can be used to explode growth.
Dan Cobley: What Physics Taught Me About Marketing
In this marketing presentation, Cobley shows how the laws of physics resemble basic marketing concepts. For instance, acceleration equals force over mass. This theory follows that the bigger the company the more difficulty it has in switching directions. Tracking and studying marketing data is similar to several proven physics principles.
Amy Lockwood: Selling Condoms in the Congo
Out of 76 million people living in the DRC, roughly 930,000 are infected with HIV. To prevent more infections Lockwood suggests that donor agencies revamp the way they promote condoms. Private companies successfully use more provocative packaging. More lives may be saved by this customer-focused strategy.
Johanna Blakley: Social Media and the End of Gender
The age of social media is providing people with the opportunity to break out of stereotypical demographic boxes. Research shows that women are now dominant users of social media across the board. Participants in online communities align themselves more with specific interests that are not gender-specific.
John Gerzema: The Post-Crisis Consumer
Consumers are no longer passive. People are increasingly making buying decisions based on the values that they hold. Less money to spend means that consumers choose products that are innovative and intuitive to their needs. Companies that want to remain relevant must take steps to become more open and transparent.
Joseph Pine: What Consumers Want
Products and services have become a commodity that are sold mostly based on price. Companies that realize consumers want to have a great experience will thrive. Consumers want authenticity. A company must stay true to who they are in order to provide an authentic experience.
Malcolm Gladwell: Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce
A jovial psychophysicist named Howard Moskowitz proved that by digging deeper into what consumers really want companies can discover a robust niche market that increases sales. Howard did something that others overlooked – he embraced diversity of taste and preferences. Uncovering this data leads to happier customers.
Renny Gleeson: 404, The Story of a Page Not Found
The 404 error page is known throughout the world as something that usually brings web surfers a feeling of disappointment. It’s like a broken relationship. Instead of being an annoyance, an error page is an opportunity to do some witty brand building. Include content that visitors find amusing and memorable.
Rory Sutherland: Life Lessons From an Ad Man
While advertising often gets a bad rap, it offers society an intangible value. Some things Sutherland has learned is that value is a matter of perception, persuasion is better than compulsion, and modern communication creates more interactivity between consumer and brands.
Seth Godin: How to Get Your Ideas to Spread
We are living in a time where ideas spread rapidly by anyone about anything. Idea diffusion gives companies an alternative. Spread the idea that your product is unique by doing something remarkable. Find out who cares and who is listening.
Sheena Iyengar: How to Make Choosing Easier
Choice overload can be a problem for executives and consumers. When consumers have too many choices they will buy fewer products. Four techniques to solve this problem are cut, concretization, categorization and condition for complexity. Be choosy about choosing.
