The term 'demand generation' is often misunderstood. Marketers cannot make people care about something they don't already. Instead, they identify existing rivers of demand for a category and create a 'canal' to channel some of that flow toward their specific product or service.
Truly creating a new category is rare. A more effective strategy is creating a sub-category by anchoring your product to an understood concept, framing it as 'like X, but different in a key way.' For example, Drift was 'live chat, but for sales,' not an entirely new concept.
In a crowded market, the founder's identity can serve as the ultimate 'meaning-free' brand asset. For Dave Gerhardt's company, Exit Five, his face and personality are the key differentiators that no competitor can replicate, making the brand inherently distinctive and personal.
Customers can endure pain points for years without acting. The real impetus to buy comes from a trigger event—a specific change that creates urgency, like acquiring a new factory. Marketing should identify and build campaigns around these triggers, not just the underlying pain.
A point of view isn't about being controversial. Its true purpose is to be a 'bat signal'—a clear message to your ideal customers that you understand their specific struggles and are on their side. It builds trust by naming their 'enemy' and showing you're there to protect them.
Many marketers avoid repetition, fearing they'll bore their audience. However, the most effective brand-building strategy is the opposite: establish one core message or point of view and express it in thousands of different creative formats. Consistency, not constant novelty, makes a message stick.
To stand out, brands should adopt assets that are 'meaning-free'—having no logical connection to the product, like Gong's bulldog mascot. This avoids using generic industry symbols (e.g., a fountain pen for a copywriter) and creates a unique, memorable brand identity.
Companies dilute their message promoting every feature. Hotjar focused its marketing on its single most in-demand feature, heat maps, to attract a wide user base. Once users were engaged, they could be introduced to the rest of the platform. This 'wedge' strategy is more effective than a broad approach.
Marketers often fail by trying to educate prospects on complex solutions upfront. Instead, offer what they're already looking for (e.g., tactics like Facebook Ads). Once you've earned their trust, you can introduce them to what they truly need (e.g., a holistic strategy).