All Beige Everywhere
Well-meaning attempts to optimise marketing has created a wave of mediocre content. Marketing materials – from copy to designs and concepts – now often take on a cookie-cutter look and feel. This approach naturally nudges everything towards the middle ground, stripping away most elements of character and creativity.
Throw in the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and others, which are now being increasingly used to churn out AI-generated content, and ‘samey-ness’ and uniformity have become the common replacement for the distinctive or idiosyncratic. One thing is now more evident than ever – having a unique voice puts you in the minority.
The Rise of the Dull-bots
Algorithms have become agents of endless repetition, feeding their propensity to serve us more of the same. Faced with increasing pressure each year to deliver ever-improving results, brands are taking fewer risks, often happy to stick to the same ‘safe’ ideas.
Typically, there’s a tendency for brands to focus too narrowly on performance marketing metrics. These metrics cater to in-market buyers and assume a level of pre-existing engagement. As a result, marketers frequently fall into the trap of repeatedly serving the blandest thing on the menu.
This cautious approach creates a paradox. Historically safe approaches – like hedging bets and not taking strong positions on divisive topics – have become the riskier option. In an environment where differentiation is key, following a well-trodden path is likely to leave you wandering in circles.
Ultimately, this mentality saps the excitement from creative ideas. It also dilutes their impact, reducing complex, nuanced content to a mere number that determines success or failure.
The Price of Being Like Everyone Else
Brands must realise that mediocrity comes with a price. While it may seem that ‘playing it safe’ saves or even generates money, in fact the reverse is true.
Boring advertisements could cost advertisers £10 million more to get the same share of voice impact as more engaging ads. Simply put, if you’re willing to spend an extra £10 million for the same effect, then being boring might seem justifiable.
As the world of marketing grows more competitive, even brands with a monopoly on their industry can’t rely solely on their budgets to capture the largest market share. The crucial currency today is not money – it’s intrigue. This remains the only effective antidote to the pervasiveness of dullness.
Want to know how to make content that avoids the dull trappings?
Follow us for the next piece in our content distinctiveness campaign. Next week you’ll be able to read our latest blog that outlines the specific types of dullness that exist in the marketing world right now and ways you can break away.