Last week we talked about the We the North movement behind the Toronto Raptors and how it related to Soul Marketing – if you missed it, you can check it out here. We, and the rest of the country, were extremely excited after their successful win against Golden State last week and we got to witness the movement in full force. What if We the North was like this all the time? 365 days a year? I think we can all agree that it would be wildly exhausting, expensive and would lose its magic rather quickly. It would be like living in Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas strip… the time of your life for a few days and then it would probably get a little stale and obnoxious.
One of the secrets behind Soul Marketing is understanding that you need to have darkness to have light. In other words, you don’t always need to have a “blow-the-roof-off, you-had-to-be-there” campaign or event for you company because, where is the excitement in that? Eventually, it would lose its luster and become meaningless to your fans. But, choosing your moments wisely instead of being on all the time, keeps the excitement growing. Soul Marketing is about picking these moments in time. The moments that you want to highlight, the moments you want people to remember you by, the moments you want people to get pumped up about. Give your customers and fans a reason to be excited.
We the North is a great example of finding that moment – for the Raptors, it was enhancing the energy of their playoff run. Despite their efforts and hard work all year round, they save moments like Jurassic Park, performances and parades for one period a year. This year was a clear indicator of how powerful this style of marketing truly is. We the North became a community, a union of fans and people who had never even watched basketball before, a small campaign that started in the GTA and expanded across the nation. Millions of people gathered to be apart of something much larger than a professional basketball team. As a matter of fact, an average of over 7 million Canadians tuned in for the NBA Finals – a national broadcast record beating out event the Superbowl!
Most of us don’t have a “season” that makes timing an easy answer but think about your own business – what is the best moment for your company and clientele to showcase and celebrate? For example, beer companies usually throw their big events in the summer months when their new flavours are hitting the marketing. Many of our clients apply the Soul Marketing method to conferences and events they are hosting because creating a “you had to be there” moment in person is what gets people excited, it’s what makes people talk about it and share it with other who couldn’t be there. It’s what takes you customers and turns them to fans and advocates for your brand.
We can’t guarantee you a parade with over 2 million attendees, but we can guarantee that Soul Marketing is effective when done correctly. Of course, that doesn’t mean giving up other marketing efforts – keep those rolling but save the fireworks for your moment.
Think your business needs some Soul Marketing help? Start with finding out your soul marketing score for free here, it only takes about 10-15 minutes of your time!