86% of marketing goes unnoticed. The distinctiveness effect shows people remember what stands out, not what blends in. Playing it safe with your marketing strategy wastes money and actually increases your risk of failing to compete.
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86% of all marketing is ignored. So how can we win against those kind of odds? Well, firstly, we need to be seen, then to be remembered when the customer is considering a purchase. Fail here and anything else we do is a waste of time, money, and energy. In a research study, German psychiatrist Hedwig von Restorf found that when participants were presented with a list of similar items with one of them distinctive and isolated, memory for that item was improved. In other words, the best way to stand out from a crowd is to be distinctive. What may seem like to be the safe marketing choice in the boardroom usually ends up as a waste of time and money when it's released out into the real world. If you appear similar to a competitor, sounding like them or looking like them, then you're both in trouble. Marketing that feels safe or familiar is actually very risky.