Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of creating unique and authentic marketing content, akin to choosing flavorful ice cream over plain vanilla, to engage and connect with the target audience.

Abstract

The article "Why Marketing Is Just Like Ice Cream" draws a parallel between the variety of ice cream flavors and the spectrum of marketing strategies. It suggests that just as people prefer interesting ice cream flavors over plain vanilla, consumers are drawn to distinctive and genuine marketing. The author argues that "vanilla marketing" — safe, boring, and interchangeable content — is ineffective and forgettable. Instead, marketers should infuse their true personality and quirks into their content, much like author Chuck Palahniuk's unapologetically bold style. The article introduces the "thumb test" as a tool for ensuring that content is uniquely identifiable without the brand name. It also provides a three-step process for developing personalized content: create content that excites the creator, align with the company's real values, and seek feedback from trusted potential customers. The article concludes by encouraging marketers to craft content that reflects their individuality and resonates with their audience, thereby standing out in a crowded market.

Opinions

Vanilla marketing is compared to plain vanilla ice cream, being unremarkable and easily forgotten.
Marketing should be infused with authenticity and personality, much like choosing a more exciting ice cream flavor.
The author, Chuck Palahniuk, is cited as an example of someone who creates content with a unique and memorable style, akin to an unconventional ice cream flavor.
The "thumb test" is recommended to ensure that marketing content is distinctively recognizable as belonging to the brand.
Marketers are encouraged to be themselves and take risks, accepting the possibility of failure as part of the process.
A three-step process is provided to help marketers find their unique voice and create content that truly represents them and their brand.
The article suggests that creating personalized content can feel scary, but this is a sign of honesty and sets the marketer apart from others.
Readers are encouraged to sign up for further marketing insights and to follow the publication for updates.

Why Marketing Is Just Like Ice Cream

Do you like ice cream? Of course you do. Who doesn’t like ice cream.

What’s your favorite flavor? Or maybe you don’t even have a favorite. If you are like me, you might have several favorites.

If you are given the choice of ANY kind of ice cream, I doubt your choice is vanilla by itself, right. You want something like Brownie Batter Explosion or Death By Peanut Butter.

Vanilla is fine as a compliment to pie or cake or something like that. But you are not seeking out vanilla by itself. But we often make this same mistake with marketing.

No one shares vanilla marketing. It’s interchangeable and not remarkable or memorable.

And you’re creating vanilla marketing when you say, “Hey, come buy my _____.” There’s nothing unique or special about that. In fact, it even seems a little bit rude and a little desperate.

How To Stop Creating Vanilla Marketing

It is really easy to take the safe approach and to be boring.

When you always choose vanilla, there are no surprises. Frankly, the world is FILLED with vanilla marketing. Vanilla blog posts, vanilla emails, and vanilla books.

This can all be avoided by putting your REAL personality into what you are doing.

You’re a little weird. And not in a bad way. We all are. Every quirk you have, many other people have.

Your audience CRAVES authenticity. Something real. Why? Because this is what lets them know they are not alone.

Just as not everyone loves Mint Chocolate Oreo ice cream, not everyone should like what you do.

Author Chuck Palahniuk is a great example of Rocky Road ice cream-style marketing. His work is definitely NOT for everyone. He’s going to offend a lot of people. He takes the craziest and most interesting things people tell him and uses them as inspiration in his own writing. And he NEVER EVER EVER holds back.

His short story Guts had audiences fainting all over the country at each and every reading. It was about…well… I’ll let you find the story and read it yourself, if you’d like. (This short story is NOT for the faint of heart or easily offended. You were warned.)

You know a Chuck Palahniuk story when you read one.

Try The Thumb Test

Let’s take this one step further. There is this cool test called the thumb test used by copywriters. It’s super easy to do. To do the thumb test, you just put your thumb over the name. Just like a Nike ad will always read like a Nike ad and an Apple ad will always read like an Apple ad, a post by you should always sound like you.

I can’t help but think of a few of the writers creating content here on Medium such as Niklas Göke, and Tom Handy.

When you read a post by one of these writers, there is no doubt who was the author.

You need to create content like that. When someone knows it is yours, you are on the right track.

A Word of Warning

I must warn you: being yourself comes with risks. You’ve got to be willing to put something on the line.

Fear always tells you to do something safe. Something familiar.

Failure is a distinct possibility, if not a certainty (most of the time). Maybe you want to start marketing a fantasy novel that you are writing. Or start marketing your business as a health coach. Or your freelance business.

Maybe it’s time to question some “expert” advice. (Seriously, Tom Kuegler does this a lot and even recommends that you use “rants” because those are obviously pieces where you have something to say.)

If you’re not sure what “you” sound like, that’s okay too. It takes time. Pretend it’s one big experiment and the goal is to find your true voice, to create a new kind of ice cream that you love.

Here’s how to do it in three steps.

Create content that YOU enjoy and want to engage with.
Be yourself, tap into your companies real values and don’t hold back. (See this short video for a great example.)
Then get some feedback from a few people you trust just to gain some additional perspective. Make sure those people are YOUR potential customers. This step does no good if they are not actually the group of people you want to reach.

If it feels a little scary to create something this personal, doesn’t it. That’s not a bad thing. It just means you are being really honest. That’s good! That means you’re making some serious ice cream here.

A Final Word

Don’t settle for vanilla when you know you want chocolate chip cookie dough with sprinkles. Go ahead and create marketing content like yourself to set yourself apart from the rest.

Remember, everyone has a ton of content in their face in many different forms: videos, books, blog posts, podcasts and much more.

Dull, vanilla marketing ain’t gonna cut it. It’s time to go make some unique ice cream that you love and share it with others. Get to work.

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Jim Woods is a bestselling author and marketer who loves using the power of story to great content. He is the co-founder of Marketing Made Simple with Anna McKenzie. For more updates, please follow this publication and sign up above. Thanks!