The Two Most Powerful Forces in Marketing
Newness and nostalgia. Could there be more powerful forces in marketing?* And yet they’re polar opposites. One says, “I’m undefined, different, and exciting. Check me out.” The other says, “Remember how great I used to make you feel?” Both are incredibly powerful. It’s quite the accomplishment to go from new to nostalgic. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes years and years of excellence to get there. The best brands consistently use both newness and nostalgia to excel. It may seem like an oxymoron, but I think of these forces every time I hear, “the all new Chevrolet” or “new at Disney World.” It’s a slippery slope, though. Nobody asks, “what’s new at Marshall Fields?” any more. For established brands, successfully tapping into newness and nostalgia is perhaps our biggest challenge and opportunity as marketers. How will you take advantage of both? There’s never a lack of ideas. *”...