I listen to Spotify during my workday. I prefer the sounds of Maroon 5 over the glaring sound of silence, or garbage trucks out the office window. And while I like that I can listen to almost any song I’d ever want, I still have to sit through the ads that play on the free version. There’s ads for Spotify premium, food products, and other artists . . . and then there’s the Esurance ads.
Esurance is running a campaign that’s turning what consumers know about the insurance industry, and switching it to make themselves stand out. We all know that when we apply for insurance, the rate that’s returned is based on similar people, according to the limited criteria we gave them. We get lumped in with all the other people our age, or with a similar driving record or similar health record.
That makes sense, to an extent, because they have to give us rates based on data that they already know. But is that really a representation of who I am? Shouldn’t I get a better rate if I’m more healthy or have a better driving record than someone else my age? There’s a little bit of unfairness that plays at the back of our minds when we apply for insurance. And Esurance knows it.
The “sorta you isn’t you” campaign slogan is effective. The commercial creates an instinct of trust, while also playing on the subconscious fear of consumers that they’re not getting a fair deal from the competition: this is how other companies see you, but we want to get to know you and help you get what you deserve, which is why you should choose us.
As marketers, we use buyer personas in email marketing and advertising, and it serves us well: We have an idea of what our ideal customer looks like through buying habits, hobbies, and perceived needs, and we cater to that. The lesson to learn here isn’t that buyer personas are bad, but that keeping the buyer persona stereotype going long after you’ve met a qualified lead is.
Once you get to know a qualified lead, don’t keep blindly sending them emails and offers based on their buyer persona. Ask them questions to see how your product or service can truly benefit them. Do this by personally reaching out, or by sending them an offer with a form that helps them self-identify their needs and pain points. Once you truly listen to a prospect, then you can help them along the buyers journey toward a purchase. True personalization looks at the prospect as the real person they are, not just the buyer persona they best fit.
So, next time you sit down to write an email or send out an offer, ask yourself, are you sending them what they need, or something someone sorta like them needs?
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