A few weeks ago, while strolling past the House of Blues in Orlando, I was reminded of an important distinction when it comes to being different. The band playing the night I happened to walk by was Falling in Reverse. The crowd was wrapped around the entire building anxiously waiting for the doors to open. I saw at least a thousand people. Nearly everyone was decked out in full-blown “Goth.” Those of you not familiar with the look need only Google the term to see exactly what I mean. There were so many people sporting black shirts, black or purple dyed hair and painted nails and faces that those more conservatively dressed concert-goers stuck out like a sore thumb.

As we soaked in some of the best people-watching around, I turned to my wife and asked her why she thought people wanted to be so different. She turned to me looking a bit puzzled and replied, “What do you mean, they’re all exactly the same?” She was right; no one in the crowd was being different, at least not in their world.

When it comes to marketing, being different is usually a good thing. However, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to be different, stand out, get noticed, that you end up being exactly the same. I remember when mailers began using “Express Mail” look-alike envelopes for their mailings. Who’s going to ignore an important overnight express envelope? Then, the trend caught on and fizzled out just as quickly. I assume once people got used to seeing fake looking express packages in their mailbox, response rates began to drop.

People I talk to at tradeshows or in presentations want Structural Graphics to help them “do something different.” But, being different should not be the goal of your campaign. The goal is a higher response and return on your investment and to achieve that, you need to engage your audience. To engage your audience you need to be unexpected and relevant; not different.

There is no doubt we help our clients get noticed; sometimes by being different. Many of our packages stand out because they are dimensional and unexpected, but that’s not where all of the marketing magic is. We don’t create our designs just to be different, but rather to engage the recipient and drive a response. The designs we recommend, whether it’s a new custom solution or a proven classic design like the Flapper, are chosen for their ability to deliver your message in an impactful, engaging and relevant way.

For example, Drexel University wanted to capture the attention of college-bound students. These students are used to receiving dozens of mailers from lots of different schools, so they knew they had to stand out. But they also had to be memorable and engaging. Drexel achieved this using our Flat Book-Cube design. It shipped flat but when the recipient opened it they were treated to a huge surprise as the piece jumped out at them. It got their attention and the campaign was a great success.

Essilor, the world’s leading provider of eyeglass lenses, was looking to promote a new brand along with a rewards program. They used the Rolling Cube design to grab the recipient’s attention, provide information about the program and drive them to a sweepstakes site. The integrated campaign was a success and garnered a 31% response rate. You can read more about the Essilor campaign in our case study.

My point was not to take you through a list of companies that have used Structural Graphics to build their brands, launch products, engage recipients and produce better ROI. It was to remind you that being different isn’t always that different. Your goal is to be engaging and relevant. When we were in Orlando I probably could have painted my nails black, worn some dark clothes and dyed my hair; and I would have stood out as we walked through Disney’s beautiful Downtown area, but if I had been there to see a concert at the House of Blues that night, I would have only been another face in the crowd.

To learn more about engaging your customers check out our Industry Specific High-Impact Marketing Guide. You’ll be able to download several case studies and learn more about how we serve your industry’s marketing needs.