Marketing a Feeling of the Genuine

I think too much about marketing. I shouldn't, but when it's in my face so often, my only defense is a critical mind. I am forced to--and I'm thinking about the Greek root krit/crit here--separate, choose. So, in one corner we have the marketing efforts of a health care organization encouraging me to sign-up for its online portal. The advantages for them being that if I can check my own records, the organization may not have to employ as many people. Nothing new there--companies have been downsizing customer service departments for years--helping us service ourselves. Our time. Their money. What is new (at least to me) is that one might be thrilled--look at the huge smile on her face--thrilled to examine one's medical records. "Well, shucks!" She seems to be saying, "I guess it wasn't that serious!" There are at a least a dozen other dispositions that a human could wear that would encourage me to see the benefits of signing up for this program. Reserved-amusement (that's what I would call her look) is not one of them. I think I've seen this same photo used to sell a hundred other online experiences.

The other corner harbors our champ for the day: Dollar Shave Club. This company already struck marketing gold with its hilarious, low-budget commercial that mixes equal parts sincerity, weirdness, and punch-lines ("Looking good, Pop-pop!").  So, yes, I'm now a member of DSC (the deal was good, and the blades work for me). I wasn't alone in joining. Over the past few months, the company was swamped with new clients and orders were delayed. Apologies and explanations went out. That was good. What was even better was my latest shipment. In my latest package of razors, DSC included a postcard that put a human-touch on the business. See the graphic below. Look, I know the angle the organization is playing: "See customer? We're just a bunch a folks working hard to keep you happy." But it feels genuine. It's difficult to create that feeling in marketing. It's rare to see it work, but for me--here--it does. The marketing helps me to feel more satisfaction and loyalty to the product. All it took was a well-designed postcard. I would even go so far as to suggest that, in making up for earlier delays, given the option between sending additional razors or including this postcards, the postcard would create stronger feelings of feelings of satisfaction and loyalty for customers than extra product. I wonder if there's research on this.

Nothing is more real than fake wood paneling.