One of my favorite marketing methods is the “Use it like This” campaigns. 

I walked in to Starbucks the other day and they had a whole wall dedicated to their new Starbucks Via product.

Before I saw the wall, I had no use for it.

Now, I know it would taste good on my ice cream. I can mix it into hot cocoa. I can make a quick cup of coffee on the go.

Starbucks offered a use for a useless product.

The most basic rule of marketing is creating a need and meeting it. Just think – 100 years ago no one wore deodorant. Until Johnson and Johnson said “You Stink – Spread this on”.

It’s the Emperor’s New Clothes principle. To refresh your memory of grade school stories, the emperor hired two clothes makers to create a new wardrobe for himself. After paying them a huge amount of gold they constructed invisible clothes and convince the emperor the clothes were the most amazing anyone had ever seen. Not wanting to be called a fool – the emperor wore his luxurious invisible clothes down the street. No one wanted to tell the emperor he was naked. So they OOOOOhed and AAAAAhed.

Until a young boy called out “Look the Emperor is naked.” Then everyone laughed and the emperor was embarrassed.

This is what I’m talking about. As marketers we need to tell the population – You’re tubby, you need acai and colon cleanse.

You look old, those wrinkles are not natural – use resv.

This is why you need this – basically you stink, put on some deodorant.

Think about this principle when you create your next campaign. Why does someone need this product? It’s not up to the consumer to decide. It’s up to you to tell them.