My wife and I like to go out for the evening. We explore new places, eat at different restaurants and visit unique shops and galleries. Not every new place we go is a hit. We’ve had some bad meals and so-so experiences. But we like to try new things. It can be risky – and a whole lot of fun.
Some people hate change. They do anything they can to avoid it. Their lives are based on repetition and familiarity. They drive the same way to and from work each day, wear the same style of clothes for years and even when they do vary their evening and venture out, they only go to restaurants and theaters they’ve been to before.
Once, we chose to try a well-established restaurant that was nonetheless new to us. When we arrived, it was too crowded to get a table right away, so we chose to wait at the bar. Casually, we began to chat with the couple sitting beside us. They told us they had been coming to the same restaurant for the past couple of years. Every Friday night. Even tried to sit at the same table, whenever possible. We didn’t ask them why, but we felt we knew the answer.
It was safe.
In this one place, they had become familiar with the menu, the surroundings, even the people who worked there. For them, it was like an extension of their home. Very little about it ever changed. It was comfortable.
Yawn.
In advertising, becoming comfortable can pose a greater risk than taking a chance on change. That’s because the world around us changes every day. The global marketplace adjusts to local economies. Tastes and buying habits shift. Exposure through the Internet can create sudden demand – and equally sudden rejection.
In all of this action, with everything swirling around you, standing still can be dangerous. The world won’t come to you – it will pass you by in a heartbeat. Succeeding in a marketplace that is forever evolving calls for action. It calls for change.
Change doesn’t have to be drastic. It could be the updating of a familiar brand with an innovative new design, color scheme or symbol. It could be taking a product or a service and launching it on the Web. It could be utilizing television as an advertising tool when in the past print had sufficed.
Whether a minor tweak or a major makeover, any change should be well thought out in advance. It should be led by skilled artists and designers who understand business, marketing trends, consumer preferences and the evolving marketplace.
So try a new look. Take a chance on an innovative advertising strategy or a rebrand. Attract a fresh audience. Whatever you do, don’t get comfortable. Because in business, playing it safe today carries with it a significant risk of being sorry tomorrow.
