Curiosity Marketing Blog

Curiosity in Marketers is the Only Way to Bell the Cat
Many of us grew up knowing the old proverb, “curiosity killed the cat.” We were even taught
as children that curiosity isn’t necessarily a good thing. But, as I grew up I started to realize
that it’s really important to ask, why? This magic three-letter word keeps our learning curves
alive. In fact, it is mankind’s continuous endeavor to know the truth that has led to the
progress of civilization as we know it.
As a marketer, I have always searched for answers. I believe that every marketer worth his
salt needs to think like a buyer and ask the right questions. Often we may see a product that
we like with a friend or relative. At this stage, we may enquire about this product and find out
essential information about it, such as the price, quality, etc.

Curiosity leads to consumer dissonance
Our quest for information sometimes leads to ‘consumer dissonance’, which is a state of
mind where the consumer becomes confused about a purchase. Maybe he/she has found
out that the same product or a substitute is available elsewhere at a different price point and
is unsure about completing the purchase. The other thing that can happen is that the buyer
may experience remorse after the purchase, as he/she finds out later that someone else has
got a better deal. Smart shoppers are increasingly searching for products on the internet and
often go to a store to simply check out a product that they’ve seen. However, once they are
satisfied, they refuse to buy from the store and instead they go home and order it online.
This kind of consumer behavior is a direct result of their curiosity and their search for
choices, fueled by the internet, which has led to the depletion of revenues for physical
stores and many have been forced to shut down.

The curious marketer
Marketers today need to be able to think like these new-age buyers, find out what’s driving
them and analyze their behavior. Inbound marketers are today armed with software
solutions that do most of the analytical work for them. Online consumer behavior can be
easily captured digitally and the metrics extrapolated and analyzed. However, I believe that
these solutions have made marketers lazy. Ultimately, marketing is all about understanding
human behavior. The buyer is a human being who is attracted to certain attributes of a
product or a service. Therefore, an inbound marketer needs to get out there and speak to
customers. The marketer’s curiosity and drive to find the answers can, therefore, become
the tipping point.

Gaining a deeper understanding
It’s not just about asking a lot of questions to customers. After a point, that can simply
become irritating. Today everyone is inundated by sales representatives who try to get you
to fill a form containing a survey. They come at you in the store, at petrol pumps and even
online. They will try to lure you into filling out the survey, with the promise of a lucky draw.
That’s not the kind of activity. I am referring to. For me, a great marketer seeks a deeper
understanding of the entire market in which their particular product is operating. This
includes market dynamics, competitor actions, consumer mind-sets, buyer behavior,
product preferences and any other factor that can make a difference. Gaining a deeper
understanding can help the marketer select the right strategies that will work.

Keeping the curiosity curve alive.

Great marketers work hard at boosting their learning curve. In today’s day and age, there is
no dearth of information available online that can help you dig deeper into the science of
marketing. There are plenty of case studies and notes available that can help you explore
the impact of different marketing strategies. I invite each one of you to try this approach and
find out different scenarios where a particular strategy has worked for a specific
demographic. You can then, in turn, derive the learnings from these and apply them to your
own problem.

Learning from the competition
It’s not just customers that you need to focus on. A curious marketer will also be willing to
look at the different tactics used by competitors. If you’re marketing a particular product, try
drawing up a list of immediate competitors and find out what they have done in the last five
years. You may find that a number of approaches have been used to entice consumers.
These could be offers, discounts, celebrity advertising, cause-related marketing, etc. Once
you have created this chart, try speaking to customers and find out how these campaigns
were received by them. This will help you gain a better understanding of how your company
can increase its competitive advantage.

Simplify your proposition
Top marketers use their curiosity to acquire a deep understanding of the products, features
and usage. They then used his knowledge to explain the applications of the product clearly to customers. They also write compelling copy in order to differentiate their brand from the competition. This sincere approach goes a long way in winning customers, rather than putting out the jargon-filled advertising and superficial information on websites. I often speak with product developers and researchers and spend time gaining a complete understanding of the products before sitting down at the table to craft a marketing strategy.
I would like to end on the note that the above six courses of action can transform your thinking and your approach to marketing. Digging deeper and learning new things every day about the market segment that you operate in can work wonders for you and help you derive new strategies that could really work. Once you have adopted this approach and tested them out, do let me know how helpful they were. Belling the cat takes perseverance, patience and an involved learning curve. I hope that readers of mine who are marketers will adopt this practical approach and embrace success in the long run.