If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you might have received one of the best lessons ever on how to market and how to make a connection with customers.
While we were witnessing one stupid, pointless, and brand-less 3 million dollar commercial after another, Chrysler revealed their ‘So God Made a Farmer’ Paul Harvey interpretation. Even if it had been a bad interpretation (which it was not!) it would have stood out because of its serious and quiet but powerful message. Marketing is about connection, and even if you have never set foot on a farm, milked a cow, or put your hands in dirt, this one made you sit up and listen and ponder who and what you have to be thankful for in life. I don’t drive a truck, but at that moment I wished I did so I could go out and buy a Chrysler. In this short message, instead of trying to entertain, Chrysler honored the very customers their brand serves.
While Godaddy was showing me their revolting commercial twice, I was actually wondering who else I could do business with BESIDES them. I have looked the other way and even laughed a few times at their clearly sexist commercials, but this one was just disgusting, was not entertaining, and certainly made no connection.
The message is clear! Know your customer, know what turns them on and turns them off, and most certainly don’t think in today’s world that ANY attention is GOOD attention. Last night proved that only good attention with a great connection counts. Congrats Chrysler not only for marketing and customer genius but for raising the bar of decency and in so doing getting noticed and possibly changing the landscape of future Super Bowl ads forever!