Diapers, laundry, soap, toothpaste, body wash, and toilet paper may not be the first products people turn to for inspiration, but according to Procter & Gamble (P&G) chief brand officer Marc Pritchard, such ordinary things can hold creative opportunities.
“Everyday moments are full of inspiration potential,” Pritchard said during his presentation at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando on Wednesday (Oct. 23).
In his speech, Pritchard played up that while marketing can be complex, it doesn’t need to be complicated. He used numerous examples from the global P&G advertising playbook to underscore his point about advertisers finding inspiration in everyday moments to connect with people–from Gillette’s multigenerational “Best a Man Can Get” to Downy’s “Rinse it Out” campaign.
All the examples were simple ideas that focused on human emotion as it related to everyday chores and tasks. Pritchard pointed out that when it comes to daily household and personal care products, people can experience struggles that open up opportunities to dramatize those problems and demonstrate solutions.
“Did you know that in the past week, 50% of parents have experienced waking up in the middle of the night to change a baby’s diaper? That less than half of people are satisfied with the steam cleaning performance of their laundry detergent, and 20% of dishwashing loads have a dish that didn’t get cleaned so it has to be washed again?” Pritchard said.
Such daily issues are ripe for consumer connection and finding solutions through products. However, Pritchard was quick to say that this involves getting away from computers and offices to spend time with the people whom a brand or business serves. For P&G brands, that means visiting people in their homes or where they shop, observing their behavior and how they experience products.
“Human moments are the ones that matter,” said Pritchard, adding that finding how your brand matters in those moments is the next step in the marketing process.
A human idea is better than AI
After culling human insights and figuring out where a brand fits into those daily moments, it’s time to find the big idea that makes those moments matter more to consumers.
Finding a meaningful balance between logic and feeling is where work can shine, Pritchard said.
“How do you know when you’ve landed the idea? Your spine tingles… It’s that physiological reaction when logic connects the dots in your brain and emotion makes you feel something in your heart,” said Pritchard. “Just a little reminder, AI doesn’t get the tingles. An idea is a uniquely human endeavor that comes from and connects with your heart and your soul.”
Pritchard didn’t say that AI and tech were bad for the industry, but that each company needs to experiment constantly with new technology to find what works for them.