3 Marketing Tips I get from Mad Men |

Marketing
Dec 2013

In the hit TV show Mad Men, do you ever watch it through a marketer’s eyes? I’ll admit that sometimes I watch it with a notepad and pen. What?!

When I look past all the TV drama, and pay close attention to how the marketing agents sell an advertising campaign to a company, I see how they connect an audience to the product using emotion, a story, and a visual stimulus. Though our methods of presentation are a little different today with the use of social media and web content, the core selling technique remains the same. Here are my 3 Mad Men marketing tips.

Tip 1: Be a human people can relate to.

Mad Men: Advertisers speak to a specific audience, paying close attention to their body language, their tone, and their ability to capture attention of a room. They have one shot. One pitch. A limited amount of time. Don Draper, full of flaws that he is, understands the human nature. He knows how to get into people’s heads, and strike a cord that resonates with them. If Don Draper walked into a room talking like a gimmicky car salesmen, well, Don Draper wouldn’t be Don Draper, would he?

Today’s Men (and women!): You don’t like to be talked to like your worth is wrapped up in whether or not you buy someone’s product. You want to know that your needs matter, that you are understood, and that you aren’t just a number that shows up on end-of-month sales reports. So speak to your audience the same way. Be human. Be funny. Be personable. Allow your brand and personality to shine through in your marketing campaigns, blogs, and social media posts. People appreciate other real humans in a world of automation and voice recorders.

Tip #2: Tell a good story.

Mad Men: I love Peggy’s ability to win an audience by painting a picture and telling a story. She researches the history of a company to gain a deeper understanding of the “who” behind the product. She tests the products, studies the products’ customer, knows the story, and shares it through advertisements. She build a story, and connect with customers.

Today’s Men (and women!): We cannot just connect people to a product. We need to connect people to a mission, a brand, and a company. Customers want to know who you are- the people behind the product they are going to purchase. About pages on a website are arguably more important than home pages on business websites. This is where you have the opportunity to tell your story, your history, your mission, why you do what you do, and who the team is behind your product or business.

Tip #3: Art and media is your best friend.

Mad Men: When an agent walks into a room to pitch an ad, his words are better illustrated when coupled with a strong graphic, photo, or video. Setting a tone and a voice with a picture, draws people in, and gives an emotional connection for the audience to hold on to.

Today’s Men (and women!): Advertisement is more effective when coupled with a visual stimulus. Pinterest and Instagram understand this, which is why they have become two of the leading social media platforms available. I read an article the other day about how businesses are hiring artists to create visual meeting minute boards. The main topics discussed during meetings are drawn out on a large board, so that employees connect with the objectives in a meeting, and remember them longer than if they were just typed or written on paper. Reports and insights consistently show that posts paired with photos gain more traffic, more responses, and more shares.

I’m sure there are more than 3, so I’m curious who else watches Mad Men through a marketer’s eyes and has a tip to share. Post it in the comments below.

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