“We’re still experimenting to find who our ICP is.” If you’ve ever said this out loud, your brand is probably spending too much money with the Zucksters and/or the Googlie-Booglies.
Over the last two weeks, we’ve shared some of our best practices for how founders can release CAC-killing Creativity from a recent webinar titled “Living that Low-CAC Life” that we put on for our portfolio companies at Bullish.
Here is the third and final part…
Part 3: Be your most creative with the people who matter most
Sounds cool Brent - where does that work begin?
I’m so glad you asked!
Cultivate First-Party Data: Never let a medium or merchant stand between you and your hard-earned or should-be customers. Know who they are and what they want (not just need). And don’t limit “Data” to things that are quantitative by hiding behind databases, surveys and screens. Get outside and into their lives. Have a conversation with the people you want to engage. Be human. When you do that, the creativity will come rushing forward.
Identify Your Pioneers: Not Innovators, not Early Adopters. Pioneers: real people who love your brand that other people turn to for their genuine opinion - 15% of a population. (FULL DISCLOSURE: "Pioneers" are a cohort that we have been developing and activating for years at Bullish.) In a world where there is no shortage of choice, people turn to other people to cut through the clutter. Once you know who your Pioneers are, find creative ways to activate them on your behalf and you'll unlock a growth hack that creates "virality loops" wherever you sit in consumer goods and services.
Surprise and Delight: People talk about things, for better or worse, when there is an incongruity between an experience and an expectation. Be unexpected. (SIDENOTE: If you are asking your team to “make the brand go viral” you should keep that front of mind when they show you something really “unexpected”). Getting creative about how you can subvert the norms in your category, or in how you do something generous for a customer - either can pay dividends in both the short and long term (doing both will make it rain).
Every company started as an idea - they aren’t math problems. You need to keep making leaps of faith that feel remarkable in the eyes of the people you aim to engage - if you want to bend the growth curve up:
1. Make creativity a team sport
2. Don’t limit your creativity just to advertising
3. Be more creative in customer service and surprise people
It’s not easy.
But, if you do it well it will make managing CAC a lot less difficult.
We hope you and yours found something in this little three-part series helpful. As always, all feedback is welcome. If you are interested in hearing and/or doing any of this, we hope you reach out. You can catch up on the previous parts in the comments.
In the meantime, be bullish! (It’s more fun)
#CAC #Creativity #Advertising #brand #brandbuilding #bebullish #DTC #CPG #Ecommerce
