After seven seasons, the show came to an end. Despite all the cigarettes, the scotches in the middle if the day and the office romances, Mad Men is a great show and few marketing lessons can be learned from me.
Even if the time is different and advertising is different now, some rules are timeless.
10 special rules from Don Draper, just follow them
2. Introduction
After seven seasons, the show came to an end. Despite all the
cigarettes, the scotches in the middle if the day and the office
romances, Mad Men is a great show and few marketing
lessons can be learned from me.
Even if the time is different and advertising is different now,
some rules are timeless.
@Simplybahia
4. Sell products, not advertising
Don is focused on providing a service that genuinely helps
the businesses he serves (selling products). It’s the
difference between asking “what can my client do for me?”
and “what can I do for my client?”.
Draper’s thinks about the real growth of the client which in
turn will grow the agency as well. Some strategie may lead
lto greater profits in the short term, but the client will
eventually leave once they realized their needs weren’t top
priority.
As a marketer, aim to grow with your clients, not at their
expense!
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6. Know your target audience
Marketers need to define their target market and decide
how to best reach them given all the limitations that they
will have to face.
Knowing your audience will help you to have a concise
message that tells immediately the customers why they
should invest in a product in as few words as possible.
The consumer is king, he must be in the center of all the
thinking, planification and even objectives.
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8. Plan your campaign in advance
In the show, when Draper and his team went to pitch a
client, they often have the entire campaign strategized
before revealing even a hint of their plans. They've
determined when and where their campaign will be
showcased months before the public sees it.
The ad placement in newspaper or TV is not chosen
randomly, the entire campaign is planned in advance.
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10. Make it simple but significant
Avoid unnecessary words. Keep your message concise and
get to the point. Don't let your audience get bored with
long-winded copy. The shorter the message, the more
likely they are to remember it.
consumers are looking for transparency, authenticity and
accessibility in what they buy.
start a conversation, ask questions, see their reactions.
They’ll appreciate it and feel like they’re part of something.
Besides, their reactions will help you know them better and
understand their needs so that you can serve them.
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12. Use your experiences, they are relevant
Sharing experiences is one of the best ways to connect with
your customers, Don Draper proved it many times.
Not only does it render more effective, personal and human
content, but it provides your customers with a sense that
they know you, and in turn, know your business. We can’t
espouse enough the value of an effective personal brand
when it comes to keeping your clients interested; even if
your product or business isn’t incredibly riveting, using one
of your own human experiences to make your product
tangibly relevant to your customers is invaluable in
establishing a strong presence in all social media platforms
and attracting new customers.
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14. Tell a story, a compelling one
Nobody tells a story better than Don Draper. While
describing the consumer’s profile it’s he’s painting a
picture. What allows Draper to tell a compelling story is the
personal touches which will strike an emotional chord with
the consumers.
Mad Men and Don Draper remind marketers that
advertising is fundamentally storytelling.
Social media can help you get your story out there because
it’s free and there’s user interaction.
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16. Evoke an emotional response
It’s important to engage your audience on an emotional
level. Showing a little emotion can be a powerful thing.
The emotional needs of consumers allows him to
effectively manipulate them into considering and then
buying his client’s products.
Brands must start to see the importance of engaging with
the consumer beyond the product. Emotions are essentials
and key for the engagement.
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18. Engage with your audience
Your audience is not just here to please you and wait for
your message or ad. Give them something relevant.
Social media can help you easily engage with your
audience.
You can start a conversation, ask questions, see their
reactions. They’ll appreciate it and feel like they’re part of
something. Besides, their reactions will help you know
them better and understand their needs so that you can
serve them.
@Simplybahia
20. Change the conversation
One of Don Draper’s famous quote is “If you don’t like what
they are saying, then change the conversation”.
It is not about dominating the conversation. Today’s advisors
can create a dialogue with clients and prospects through a
thought leadership and personal branding campaign
encompassing digital and social media channels.
Make the initial conversation more about your experience
and insights and less about capabilities and selling services
and don’t forget that a large portion of marketing power lies
in the ability to change people’s perceptions of things,
especially a product or service.
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22. The past will always hunt you
The first seasons of the show proved that Don Draper
couldn’t escape his dark past even with all he’s effort.
For a brand, it’s the same specially now a days with
internet, nothing goes away; it stays there forever. It’s
impossible to erase it . That’s way brand should always
monitor the online reputation and react quickly and wisely
in case of a crisis.
Sometimes when the damage is done, it’s better to accept it
and move on. No matter how bad that thing is, it’s
permanent.
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24. Let’s recap
• Sell products, not advertising
• Know your target audience
• Plan your campaign in advance
• Make it simple but significant
• Use your experiences, they are relevant
• Tell a story, a compelling one
• Evoke an emotional response
• Engage with your audience
• Change the conversation
• The past will always hunt you
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25. Conclusion
If there's one thing "Mad Men" has taught us, it's that the
goal of intelligent advertising is not to sell, sell, sell. It's to
get inside the customer's mind and stay there. Once you
plant the seed, the customer lets it grow. When that
happens, your brand turns into something much more than
a product; it will become a personality.
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