The Bizarre Bazaar That is Selling.

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Have you ever been to a bazaar or Souq? I have not but imagine it to be a barrage of sight, sound, aroma and cacophonous selling. I’d expect a souq to be somewhat organized. Food arrayed in one area, household goods in another, spice and carpets sellers bunched elsewhere. But maybe not. Maybe it is first come first served – laid out and paid for based upon most trafficked areas. The answer is not on Wikipedia so I may have to get out more.

However the souq is organized and depending on its size there are lots of goods from which to choose. A dizzying amount. And that’s not unlike selling today. Consumers are overwhelmed with choices. And tools. And shopping options. Ads fill our lives just as the rows and rows of goods at the souq. So how do companies use ads to set products apart? What does insurance look like. By volume of advertising a Martian might think it looks like a lizard. What does a product taste like? Smell like? What value does it bring to daily life? Once all that is out of the way, why is one product better than that in the next stall? Price? Experience? Recommendation?

If given 30 seconds or a few thousand pixels to convey all of this, how does one package all that info? Apple is finding out. Apple is reported to have 1,000 people on payroll at the company creating ads and marketing materials. They have this massive group, presumably, to save money. A piece I read yesterday suggested the TV ads prepared by the Apple’s in-house team were smoked by the TBWA/Chiat/Day team ads (in consumer testing.)

It’s a big world out there. With lots going on. And massive, massive messaging. Maximize the effectiveness of your work. Get a strategy, be strategic and hire expert sellers. Families in the souq have been there thousands of years. Peace.