A marketer’s job is to make something interesting. That’s easy enough when you work for Red Bull, but what if your client is a soap company? Or a data-storage firm? Not exactly riveting. Let’s face it, some industries are naturally a little more exciting than others. But the best marketing can make anything compelling, even something you never thought would resonate strongly with your audience.
Before you let a boring industry dictate the tone of an otherwise exciting company or write off, check out this abbreviated list of five companies that put an edgy spin on seemingly boring industries. For the full catalogue, download the free ebook 16 Companies from “Boring” Industries Creating Remarkable Content.
1) Old Spice
This company has been competing in the soap and deodorant market for 75 years now. Hey, quit yawning! Though the word ‘old’ is half of their name, this brand has really gotten spicy with their marketing in the past few years. Everyone remembers the 2010 ‘Old Spice guy’. He quickly became the face of the brand thanks to witty commercials that people today are still watch (‘The Man Your Man Can Smell Like‘ has nearly 45 million views). This year, Old Spice is giving the soap industry an even sillier spin with their new mascot, Mr. Wolfdog, who already has a slew of popular videos, banners, and social posts.
Video:
Banner:
2) Dropbox
What could be more exciting than a cloud-based storage platform? Just about anything. Dropbox launched in 2008 as a file sharing platform in the cloud and has since gained traction in the market by being easy-to-use and…charming. The company doesn’t go overboard with its marketing or try to be an exhilarating product that it’s not. Instead, Dropbox has communicated its products’ ease-of-use with simple but cute design across marketing channels. From their error page to a sleek infographic, Dropbox knows how to create a fun experience in a dull market.
Error page:
Infographic: https://www.dropbox.com/brasil
3) Charmin
“One time I threw a toilet paper-themed party”, said nobody ever. Toilet paper is a commodity. There’s nothing notable about toilet paper. Not only is it boring, it can be a little gross. The toilet paper brand, Charmin, can’t be associate with either of those adjectives. Charmin’s marketing is cute, playful, and sometimes cozy thanks to their cuddly bear mascots. The brand’s social media presence and images make going to the bathroom fun. Now, I can throw a party celebrating that.
4) ZenDesk
Customer service software isn’t exactly riveting. But it can be smooth, easy, and even peaceful. ZenDesk puts a joyful face on customer service- literally. The company uses a giggly Buddha character as their mascot across collateral online and offline. You can’t see this cheery face and not feel a little more…well, zen. Their website features great design and valuable content from their blog to their webinars. ZenDesk is not shy in creating remarkable content across the board.
Website:
Blog:
5) RSNA
How many kids have you met that say when they want to be an astronaut or a fireman when they grow up? How many have said they want to work for the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA)? Radiology somehow just doesn’t sound as glamorous. The RSNA has found a playful way to engage followers on social media by staying on top of what’s hot. The RSNA posted their own take on the viral Harlem Shake video and jumped on the Superbowl power outage with a funny quip via Facebook (see below).
Harlem Shake video:
Superbowl FB post:
Whether you sell fertilizer or soap, taking a risk in your marketing content can separate you from the pack. The bland, boring pack. Want to see some more risk-takers? Check out HubSpot’s free ebook below or visit our blog for more non-boring (we promise) marketing content.
This guest post was written by Hannah Fleishman who works in Media Relations at marketing software company HubSpot, which has a special partnering program for marketing agencies. Find her on Twitter @hbfleishman.
