Today we’re going to play a little game together. I am going to write a few things below and you are going to tell me what you immediately think about when you read the word. Here we go!
Toothbrush.
Shoes.
Peanut butter.
If you’re thinking about toothpaste, socks, and jelly, you are not alone. A trigger (in marketing) is something that automatically reminds a consumer of another thing. If you associate your product, service, or mission with a trigger, people WILL talk about you more. Just make sure that trigger is common.
Some of you will remember the V8 ad campaign from the 80s, “Have you had your V8 today?” In these ads, tired people found themselves beginning to walk sideways as their energy slumped more and more. Then they drank a V8 and found themselves suddenly recharged with all the vitamins and minerals. This was a smart move for three main reasons:
- The marketers associated V8 with a trigger—getting tired.
- Not only did the marketers associate V8 with a trigger, they associated it with a common one. Please think back and tell me the last day you DIDN’T have an energy slump.
- They focused on things and/or feelings we desire (energy) versus the features of the product… tomato juice. Even as a child who didn’t love vegetables, I wanted a V8. I didn’t even know it was vegetable juice. I just wanted to see if it would make me walk straighter when I got tired. I begged my mom to buy it for me.
Now that you know what triggers are, you’ll find them all around you. Firefighters tell you to change your smoke detector batteries at the beginning of daylight savings time. Starbucks and Peet’s coffee remind us of the time of year (and thus changing menu options) with the color of their cups.
Triggers done well are automatic and subtle. Have you noticed that you look for my new content on Fridays yet?
Now try it in your business… what can you add to your marketing that triggers an immediate thought about your product, service or mission?
