How to Make the Unremarkable Remarkable
There's no doubt. It's a challenge. It's never easy marketing scientific products that are (or are perceived as) commodities. Let's face it. Not every product can be the top of the heap. But now it's your heap and you need to do something with it.How do you make an undifferentiated product stand out in a crowded market?Claude C. Hopkins figured this out almost a century ago. If you haven't heard the story, Mr. Hopkins was tasked with advertising Schlitz beer.
Beers weren't that different from each other and all made the same way. At the time, most brewers claimed purity to be the outstanding feature of their product."The claim made about as much impression on people as water makes on a duck," said Claude. But he was the first to take the purity claim and turn it into something that did make an impression on people.He focused on how the beer was made and in particular, presented specific details about how it was purified and voila! Schlitz was seen as a high purity beer. Schlitz went from fifth place to a virtual tie for first within a few months.
Again and again I have told simple facts, common to all makers in the line—too common to be told. But they have given the article first allied with them an exclusive and lasting prestige. -Claude C Hopkins, My Life in Advertising
What does this mean for you? How can you create "an exclusive and lasting prestige" for a commodity like pipettes or petri plates or even some higher-end consumables?I've got some good news for you.As a marketer of scientific products you've got a few things going for you.
- Scientists are curious.
- They like to know the technology of how things are made.
- How things are made is ripe for great storytelling.
If you can relate how your product is made to an important attribute, you've got a story to tell.And the best part is that when you are done, you'll have one more thing in your favor.Scientists like to share what they learn. You'll have a story about your product that customers are eager to view and share.Want some ideas about how to get started with your remarkable story? You need to find the right people and ask a lot of questions.I've created an eBook to show you how.How to Make the Unremarkable Remarkablephoto credit: Tom Simpson Schlitz, 1956 ad via photopin (license)