Marketing has an “I” in it. It also has a “ME”, albeit separated by an “ark”. And - I find too many times, in too many meetings, the “I” and “ME” assert themselves too much into the projects. Someone doesn’t like a paragraph. Someone does not like a button, or a color. Or their boss doesn’t like it. These conversations get tiring don’t they? My friend and I used to joke about how so many times imagery marketers would use on websites would either look like the marketer themselves, or look like their dream woman/man. But - what does this have to do with the user?
I remember being in a meeting with a boss when I was on client side, and we were working on improvements to the site. I was saying that the website as it was, was embarrassing. It did not reflect who we were as an organization, and the sales reps selling space on the site said that the job was impossible. I told my bosses that I felt the site needed to change. One boss had a surprising reaction.
“I don’t care what you feel,” he said.
Interpreting that he wanted me to distance my emotions from the work, I said “I think that the site needs to change”.
“I don’t care what you think,” he said. “Give me data instead of telling me what you think or feel.”
That moment sticks with me as I build websites and brands for clients. Taking the “I” or “ME” is easy, doing surveys with tools like Survey Monkey, doing ad hoc phone focus groups, or looking at analytics and adjusting the site after it is done. There are also other tools such as usability tests and live focus groups. All of these things, if used correctly, can create a campaign that works best for users. When you are building something for yourself, you are making a bet about how your taste compares to the rest of the world. That is a bet that most people don’t want to make.
