Writer Mona Karaoui, nuviun’s Voice of the Consumer, provides her perspective on aggressive marketing strategies, and the effects they may have on consumers.
December is my favorite month of the year for a variety of reasons, the most prominent of which is the fact that kindness takes over, in the spirit of all things jolly (and a weakening hope of Santa still visiting this year).
And “Kindness” is no small deal.
It is the foundation of all good deeds, the starting point of the theory of everything: relationships, teamwork, and rivalry. Yes, “smart” rivalry starts off with kindness, in an attempt to ensure that consumers are not taken aback by a specific brand (that they could be relatively fond of) because it is unkind.
December brings a shopping craze to almost each and every home around the world, and while brands try their utmost to attract consumers, it is only those that connect to consumers’ emotions and aspirations that seem to be sealing the deal.
A few of my favorite Health Tech brands are going all festive this season, and I am chanting along (because in 2015, I am determined to be kinder to my body, and luckily, digital health is here to save the day).
I am a little bit gutted though, about how self-harming extensive bashing campaigns between competitors have recently become.
New tech products are launched on a daily basis, and while an assertive advertising approach is encouraged, undermining a rival’s product to market one’s own is not perceived as a victory in the eye of the public (#justsaying).
Here’s what I mean.
Two very similar tablets from two very competitive tech giants were launched this month, just in time for the holidays (because who doesn’t want a piece of December’s spending cake?).
And how did they choose to appeal to the public? What was their advertising approach?
This 30-second video ad features a traditional Christmas theme with a matching song, and highlights the product’s characteristics by not-so-discreetly attacking its competitor (not quite a brilliant idea).
Whereas the competitor’s 60-second video ad features a variety of people in different settings who come together to celebrate the healthy mind, positive attitude, and spirit of innovation in each and every consumer (touché).
Consumers (myself included) are all for “healthy” competition, and while I am not particularly tech-biased (okay, maybe just a little), I do like traditional tech companies, and I’ve consumed and relied on their devices for a very long time.
However, with a multitude of health and fitness products making a debut across the world today, and an abundance of competitive apps and gadgets to back them, brands need to seriously rethink their targeting strategies. If I am in need of a tablet and compare these ads, I will not need to think twice about what I would like to find under my tree this year.
The bottom line?
The equation to consumers is quite simple:
"Be an original. Do your thing. Remain Kind."
Mona Karaoui is a writer and editor. In her posts for nuviun, she provides unique insights and perspectives on digital health through the eyes of the consumer. You can follow Mona on Twitter @monakaraoui or on her blog: fool4words.
The nuviun blog is intended to contribute to discussion and stimulate debate on important issues in global digital health. The views are solely those of the author.
