What is appropriate marketing?

In another article I wrote that in marketing, almost everything is up for consideration so long as it is ethical and moral.

So then, what is appropriate marketing?

And are there any areas that really are taboo?

I guess that just depends on how far you want to push the envelope.

So when I recently saw this picture, it made me ponder the appropriateness of funeral advertising.

I wrote a few weeks back encouraging business owners to look for marketing ideas that are “outside the box”.

That are outside the norm, perhaps even outside of the accepted norms.

That are memorable, which makes them stand out from the crowd.

. . . which reminds me of a coffee chat I had recently on this subject with a friend who is a funeral director.

He told me about some bus advertising run by another company which he thought was pretty crass.

Memorable

But it was memorable!

He remembered it.

And now I remember it too from his story.

Isn’t that what marketing is all about?

Being remembered?

Funerals are usually a sad time for those involved.

So they are treated somberly and with “due respect”.

But in some cultures, it is a time of joy and celebration.

It is just a point of view, a perception, and who is to say which is right and which is wrong?

My friend told me that this company took a bit of stick in the industry for their “crass” advertising.

But apparently, it got the phones ringing!

It worked.

And what more does a business owner want than more business?

How Does It Work

Memorable marketing touches peoples emotions in some way. And shock advertising reaches people at an emotional level because when they are shocked their emotions are heightened . . . whether with laughter, surprise, anger, offense, etc.

So the question that you must ask is how to make yourself memorable to your customers and potential customers so that you remain “front of mind” in their thinking.

What can you do to stand out from the crowd of also-rans in your industry sector?

Yes, you can provide exceptional service, quality products, amazing guarantees.

But at some level, that is already expected. That is the norm, and it doesn’t make you stand out that much in a busy market.

You can have a quirky brand or name, and that helps. We have certainly had a lot of feedback that the Hotpink Websites brand is quirky and memorable.

What else can you do to stand out from the crowd? That borders on the acceptable and legal, without stepping that bit too far over the line?