There are dozens of marketing strategies you can use to build sales appeals for any given product, but if you’re looking for a consistent approach, safety sells. From cars to kids toys and everything in between, assuring customers that a product is safe helps brand both that item and your company as trustworthy and desirable. It may not seem fun or sexy, but in an uncertain world, promising customers safety can set you apart.
The other advantage of safety is that it has many meanings, ranging from health to security and a variety of connotations in between. Plenty of businesses are already demonstrating just how powerful this approach can be. Take a look at these 3 trendsetters (and one classic strategy) and discover safety’s marketing sway.
According to the National Council for Home Safety and Security, only 17% of American homes have a security system, even though most individuals have at least some concerns about home safety. What that means is it’s an industry primed for growth – and it’s already inherently about security. So when the security company ADT needed a new marketing campaign, they turned to the real safety experts: superheroes.
With a new Incredibles movie ready to launch from Pixar, ADT’s most recent ads are an animated movie tie-in. It’s an unusual approach for the company, but it also allowed ADT to double-down on the safety angle. While the Incredibles are out saving the world, their security system is working overtime to keep their home safe. From an audience angle, it’s hard to imagine a more reliable security system, since it’s the one superheroes count on for their own protection.
For many products, safety isn’t enough to get people through the door, but it will seal the deal. With items like automobiles, childcare products, and other high-trust goods, though, safety is the selling point and can give businesses a real boost.
At BMW of Bloomfield, savvy marketers are working to increase summer maintenance business by advertising the service as a “Summer Safety Check.” For customers, this check-up is an assurance that they’re taken care of before they head out on a road trip or vacation adventure. Though the offer is for a fairly conventional tune-up, the dealership balances the price cut with the volume assured by billing it as a safety must.
Parents are among the most safety-aware consumers out there because they aren’t just responsible for themselves – they have to protect their children as well. It’s no surprise, then, that when Amazon announced they were launching a kid-friendly version of Echo, everyone from parent groups to the government were concerned about the possible security risks.
Despite these concerns, Amazon already has an edge over competing interests precisely because the new Echo for kids is premised on user safety. While it may not offer greater data protection, that’s not what parents are worried about when placing smart devices in the home. Rather, they want to know that the device won’t play explicit music or access inappropriate searches. This is the kind of safety parents are interested in, and it’s what Amazon is selling.
Experts often recommend making behind the scenes videos for marketing because this alternative lens allows customers to get an intimate glimpse of how your business operates, and that goes doubly for safety campaigns. After all, how better to witness your business’s commitment to consumer well-being?
Crash test videos are a classic example of this behind the scenes approach to advertising. Though these have fallen somewhat out of favor, giving way to visual montages and adventure scenes, their extended use in years past is evidence of the approach’s impact. Drivers who want a trustworthy, thoroughly tested and proven vehicle want proof and these classic commercials always came through on that front.
Putting safety first may not be the newest approach to marketing, but it remains a reliable one. Before you launch into your next campaign, then, take a moment to ask: how can I reassure potential buyers? From health to digital security, safety sells when glamour just stokes the competition.
