Is the latest “cool” marketing tool always better?

Posted by Jerry Smith · December 4, 2009 · Print This Article

Cool things always look better don’t they? In the online world in particular it seems as though hardly a day goes by without a new platform emerging in social media that is “cooler” than what went before.

This is great as people are always building new and better solutions based on user experiences or to address some new need.

Should you always be pursuing the latest and greatest? There probably isn’t an definitive answer to that. On the one hand it is worth keeping an eye on what is emerging – take an interest and (here is perhaps the critical point) see if it is a great fit for your business and marketing plans. On the other hand there seems to be a danger equally worthy of consideration and it’s this: “Is this, as cool as it is, actually a distraction?”

Is the cool tactic your new best friend? There is a danger of completely switching direction. You know the sort of thing. You have been using the same tactic for a while and it’s been working, but, well….. it’s kind of familiar now and this great, cool new thing just emerged. Perhaps I should try that instead?

Here is the rub. Checking out the latest is usually a good idea. Unless you are certain it will negate everything that you were doing before, doesn’t it make sense to consider whether it is a replacement or simply complimentary or (horror) actually quite cool but not a good fit for you (however much fun it might be)?

Effective marketing requires a great understanding of your target market. Your marketing plans to address that market should be fluid enough to embrace new tools and tactics that can help, but the overall framework should always be there. Without it, cool stuff can easily become a “bright, shiny thing” that is tough to resist and quickly becomes a distraction, not adding to the overall marketing effectiveness.

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