If demographic data was the Holy Grail in the 20th century for targeting consumers, cultural insight is the go-to tool for connecting today. For instance, the demographic of women 25-54 holds a staggeringly wide range of beliefs and values. With the data to back up cultural insights, why waste time trying to forge a connection with all of them when you can communicate more meaningfully – and match brand values – with those with whom you share a common set of beliefs?
According to a recent Gallup poll, 77 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian, yet in today’s “offend no one at all costs” marketing landscape, it’s the rare brand that has the bravery to speak up for the beliefs of this “silent majority.” But imagine if you could convince this cultural target that your product doesn’t just satisfy some physical need but also helps define who they are, then you’ve successfully leveraged a cultural opportunity – going from brand to badge.
The result for our Sanderson Farms client is the “I Believe” campaign. At its core, “I Believe” is a set of belief statements brought to life through the power of song and stirring visuals. Instead of spending time telling consumers about its “100% natural chicken,” Sanderson Farms focuses on the universal truths it shares with its consumers: faith, family, honesty, love of country. As Simon Sinek said in his very good book, Start with Why, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
So instead of the overt call to action and the litany of no-hormones-type product attributes that other brands use to convince you why you should invite them to your table, Sanderson Farms does something completely different. It actually talks about the truth behind our holidays and our meals – that these communal dining experiences aren’t about what’s on the table as much as they are about who’s around it. They offer a chance to get together, celebrate our friends and family, turn off our mobile devices and engage with real people in realtime, over an all-American meal.
When a brand has the integrity and conviction to admit such a truth, let alone elevate it to the level of a campaign theme, something surprising happens. You find a community of consumers so starved for someone willing to stand up for those shared beliefs that they’re more than willing to share back with the brand that most precious of consumer commodities – their time. Time in the form of emails, letters, comments and social engagement – all thanking the brand for speaking up for the truths and beliefs that they hold so dear, and which seem in such short supply in today’s media-infused society proving that sometimes, the most potent call to action is not having one at all.