What Swine Flu Teaches Us About Marketing

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 27. Then, like an idiot, I accidentally deleted it. Oops.

The #1 trending topic on Twitter today is Swine Flu. It’s the top story on Digg and CNN.com, too. For a fun experiment, do a Twitter search for Swine Flu and watch the real-time results update every few seconds.

Folks everywhere are buzzing. I think the paranoia and panic is absurd, but that’s not the point. The point is that people are worried. Only 73 human cases of Swine Flu have been reported worldwide — 1 case for every 100 million people on Earth, give or take. And yet, driven by fear, the disease is the most talked about topic in the world today.

There’s a valuable lesson here: That which touches an emotional nerve generates buzz.

Now take a look at your marketing. What emotional nerve do you touch? What problem do you solve? Your customers experience fear, pride, loneliness, greed, joy, anxiety and hope every day. How does you connect with your customers’ emotional needs?

I’m not suggesting you misrepresent your product as a cure for Swine Flu. On the contrary: It would border on unethical to stoke the flames of panic for your own profit. But it is okay to understand what moves people. Watching the conversation run rampant about Swine Flu is a good reminder that emotion, not intellect, is what drives people.

Agree? Disagree? Sound off!

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuartfoster

    As a public relations/marketing consultant I think this is a huge problem for me. I'm selling services and essentially myself and it's sometimes hard to wrap an emotional component around that model. Personal branding is an interesting direction to take it…but that limits yourself into what you lay out.

    Wondering if I could get some input on this?

  • http://thelostjacket.com Stuart Foster

    As a public relations/marketing consultant I think this is a huge problem for me. I'm selling services and essentially myself and it's sometimes hard to wrap an emotional component around that model. Personal branding is an interesting direction to take it…but that limits yourself into what you lay out.

    Wondering if I could get some input on this?

  • http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

    As a blogger, my best advice to you Stuart is to create value for your readers every day. Whether that value is tips/tricks, food for thought, humor or a weighty conversation, you've got to bring it.

    As a PR/marketing practitioner, it's a battle. Unlike plumbers or podiatrists, our industry is FULL of competitors who know how to “package” themselves. Part of that involves being a genuinely valuable resources on the topics most relevant to your clients and prospects at any point in time.

    Here's an idea: Think of yourself as something more than a PR/marketing provider. Be a connector. Find people what they need. Your client needs an accountant? Introduce him to YOUR accountant. A prospect needs legal advice? Set up a meeting with your client the attorney.

    Be the center of a social hub, and your network will pass through YOU every time it grows.

  • http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

    As a blogger, my best advice to you Stuart is to create value for your readers every day. Whether that value is tips/tricks, food for thought, humor or a weighty conversation, you've got to bring it.

    As a PR/marketing practitioner, it's a battle. Unlike plumbers or podiatrists, our industry is FULL of competitors who know how to “package” themselves. Part of that involves being a genuinely valuable resources on the topics most relevant to your clients and prospects at any point in time.

    Here's an idea: Think of yourself as something more than a PR/marketing provider. Be a connector. Find people what they need. Your client needs an accountant? Introduce him to YOUR accountant. A prospect needs legal advice? Set up a meeting with your client the attorney.

    Be the center of a social hub, and your network will pass through YOU every time it grows.

  • http://mediaemerging.com Scott Hepburn

    As a blogger, my best advice to you Stuart is to create value for your readers every day. Whether that value is tips/tricks, food for thought, humor or a weighty conversation, you've got to bring it.

    As a PR/marketing practitioner, it's a battle. Unlike plumbers or podiatrists, our industry is FULL of competitors who know how to “package” themselves. Part of that involves being a genuinely valuable resources on the topics most relevant to your clients and prospects at any point in time.

    Here's an idea: Think of yourself as something more than a PR/marketing provider. Be a connector. Find people what they need. Your client needs an accountant? Introduce him to YOUR accountant. A prospect needs legal advice? Set up a meeting with your client the attorney.

    Be the center of a social hub, and your network will pass through YOU every time it grows.