Although people aren’t dogs, there’s a lot that marketers can actually learn from their behaviour. These behaviours are bound to impact your brand’s campaign strategies positively. For example, dogs are quite simple creatures; when they want to play, they play. And when they want to eat, they eat.
They know how to live life by their own rules and are never over the top – and you, dear marketer, should be the same! Why? Because sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to reach your target audience.
However, this isn’t the only thing your brand can learn from these furry pups.
Let’s dig right through the dirt:
Dog Tip #1: Be yourself
A dog never pretends to be something it’s not; they are always just their authentic, furry selves, and they’re
never sorry for it This is something
all marketers should strive to be. They need to represent their true brand within their marketing strategy at all times. There is no use in pretending to be something that your brand simply isn’t, even if you think it’ll get you more engagement.
For example, if you don’t have a vegan brand, it wouldn’t make sense to advocate for vegan products simply because it’s the new ‘trend’ or you want to make your brand look good. Rather, just be open and honest and talk about the benefits and value your brand
actually carries.
Dog Tip #2: Show your brave side
When working in the marketing industry, it can be very easy to miss the mark with regards to creating initiatives that your audience will actually like and engage with. There are countless times where brands have simply made the wrong choice in terms of strategy.
An example of this is
Clover’s blue bottle campaign. The brand aimed to stand out and be different, but it seems that its audience disagreed.
That’s why it’s so important that you speak up when you don’t agree with a certain strategy or advertisement your company wants to do as a part of the marketing strategy.
Even if you are being viewed as ‘bad to the bone’, speaking up and being brave like a dog is the way to go. These canines always inform their pet parents when they are not happy about something, and this is something you should do too!
Dog Tip #3: Sniff out possible issues
You can’t sneak much past a dog without them being curious or suspicious about what is going on. Thus, as a marketer, it is important to be inquisitive about any situations happening within the industry as well as new trends.
For example, if the new marketing trend is to embrace TikTok challenges, then you need to investigate and find out whether your brand should include them in your strategy or not. Being proactive is one of the best ways to sniff out issues or new trends that will benefit your brand. So, can we all agree that this is doggone good advice?
Dog Tip #4: Understand your audience
Dogs are excellent at reading people’s emotions; they know when you’re sad and need a good snuggle and they are aware of when they are allowed to act a bit goofy. What can marketers learn for this? They need to know how to be more empathetic in order to better understand their audience.
So, how can they do just that? Don’t worry, we’ll throw you a bone.
Making use of a
social media listening tool will allow you to become aware of the conversation surrounding your brand and the type of consumer that interacts with you. You’ll also know exactly how your consumers are feeling about your brand. This could be your products or services. Allowing you to become aware of any negative reviews, which will enable you to solve them.
You’ll also be able to see what they actually want from your brand. And what better way to improve your customers’ experience and get their tails wagging than actually knowing what they want to see and providing them with it?
Dog Tip #5: Provide the ultimate customer experience
Dogs are natural people, pleasers — they know
what to do,
when to do it and
how to do it. They understand that in order to get a treat, they need to do a trick — and the same goes for you, marketers. In order to get the reaction you’re looking for from your audience, you’re going to have to jump through hoops!
This ties in with understanding who exactly your consumer is; once you know what they need, you can take it a step further by providing them with the ultimate customer experience.
If your brand focuses on taking good care of your audience and ensuring that they have a great experience with your brand, they will definitely be back for more.
Here are a
few tricks of the trade to create a great user experience for your consumers:
- Map the customer journey
- Get your employees on-board
- Deliver your message consistently
- Measure the customer experience
- Use the right tools to meet customers’ expectations
What are some other tips that marketers can learn from dogs? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
Curious about what marketers can learn from an American sitcom? Then be sure to check out these Six things marketers can learn from Friends.
*Image courtesy of Unsplash