Ok. I admit it. I watched the X Factor final.
I didn’t think any of them were that good (sorry, guys) but I totally fell for the ‘Little Mix deserve to win, they’re just ordinary girls who deserve a chance’ line.
I even voted for them.
What really did it for me, and for millions of X Factor viewers, was their down to earth personalities.
Nice girls, sincerely asking for our votes, not skinny fashion plates (although I doubt it will be long before they are) – real people.
Marketing a product, service or business is like being on the X Factor.
We audition (assess whether there’s a need for what we provide and get lots of feedback (especially if we’re really awful)),
We go to boot camp (do some market testing, perfect what we’re offering, hone it and get some expert advice),
We do the live shows (put ourselves out there through promotions, sales drives and good communication)
and if we’re lucky, we get to the live final.
Just like on the X Factor, the audience gets the final vote.
If we’ve provided a poor service in the past, or slagged off our competitors the audience will find out – and if we’re pretending to be something we’re not those phone lines will go extremely quiet.
If you’re thinking about whether it’s worth taking a marketing approach to your business, think about the X Factor. You’ve got to be in it to win it.
And whether you win, or lose there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get a contract at the end of it.
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