M... F... Newsletter

about the entire cost of dull

Darling readers,

It is Thursday, and it has snowed outside. I’m already writing this newsletter today because I’m not feeling the other work that is waiting for me. It’s cosy by the fireplace. I am thankful. But also a bit sad. Being a lonely freelancer means freedom, but sometimes I miss being part of a team and having a nice New Year’s drink.
So, I need something to laugh about. And that’s why I have the perfect theme for this week’s newsletter: the cost of being boring! 😊 (aka: yes, jokes are totally allowed in branding!)

➡️ Strategy : The entire cost of dull

I’ve been in the communications business for over 20 years now, and I’ve spent the last decade diving deep into branding. Yet, I’m still surprised by how much boring and mediocre marketing surrounds us. Despite everything we’ve learned about marketing effectiveness and the power of creativity, we’re not making enough of an impact. 🤷‍♀️

In fact, with budget cuts and the growing “let AI do it” trend, it sometimes feels like things are getting worse.

Did you know that being dull costs you money?!

A man named Peter Field did some fascinating research to answer this. By “the cost of dull,” he means the extra amount of media money you’d need to spend behind a boring campaign to achieve the same commercial return as an engaging one.

Here’s what he and his team discovered:

  • They measured the emotional response of American viewers to TV ads, and the most frequent reaction they recorded? Neutrality. People felt nothing after seeing the ad.

  • The team analyzed 100,000 ads (!!) in the US and calculated how much more money the dullest 75% would need to spend to achieve the same impact as the top 25% most engaging ads.

    The result? $189 billion—roughly the GDP of Greece.

    (You can read the study results here, very interesting!!)

If this crazy number doesn’t highlight the importance of creativity and emotional connection in marketing, then honestly, I don’t know what will.

Now, the one million dollar question is: how to be anti-dull?
This image might just give you some ideas!

Please be more creative 🙏 (I’m certainly looking at you, dear B2B brands)
Or hire me.

➡️ Brand Love: M… F… Burger

Conclusion: too many brands are afraid.
They’re afraid of losing someone or taking a stand.

But what if it’s done in a clever way?
Like Meatless Farm did in this campaign 👇

It’s funny, because we all naturally fill in the blanks of M… F…
It creates a playful “wink” moment with the audience.
They nailed it with some brilliant copywriting.

Heads up to the CEO or Marketing Manager who dared to go for it.
Because it works/worked. Apparently, the campaign really went viral.

➡️ Your brand speaks louder than you think

Let me re-confirm: People don’t buy products, they buy brands (aka emotions)

Nope.
Actually, that’s not entirely true.
Today, many people choose products
simply because the brand holds no apparent value for them.
With budgets tighter than ever, only a few brands manage to prove their worth.

But! A brand doesn’t need rivals if it consistently proves its value.
Getting into the hearts and minds of your customers (and knowing your emotional value) is 👏 essential 👏👏👏!!

The key? Know your customers and understand their values.
That’s where true brand connection begins.

➡️ I have a website

Conclusion: The first question to ask when you’re defining your brand or trying to connect with your audience is:
What am I offering, to whom, and what are their pains? 
That’s step one.
Always.

Last week, I locked myself in my room (it was snowing anyway, and my social life was non-existent because you all were out celebrating New Year with your teams 😅. )
So I took the time to do the exercise for myself:

  • What are my services to you?

  • What are your pains?

And because I don’t want to rethink this every time, I created a Notion website.
Yes, for all the DIYers out there, a Notion site is super easy to set up.
One day, I’ll make a “real” website, but for now, this works perfectly.

Want access to my site? Just hit reply, and I’ll send you the link! 😊

➡️ To read or listen

I read a lot, but this week’s inspiration tip is a podcast.
It’s all about Ryanair’s social media strategy and how they turned their audience perception around. Thanks to this bold approach, they managed to transform haters into convinced lovers. (Or at the very least, the lovers outshouted the haters on Ryanair’s social channels. 😊)

Here are some key takeaways, well, at least the ones I remembered after an hour of listening:

  1. Take a stand.
    Ryanair has a dedicated team screening current events and using them as powerful angles. They aren’t afraid to be provocative intentionally to drive engagement.

  2. Short decision lines.
    Their team can get quick approvals for ideas, ensuring their content was timely and never “too late to the party.”

  3. Test, pivot, and test again.
    They constantly refine their approach through testing, tweaking, and testing some more.

The result? A social media strategy that’s bold, effective, and definitely not boring!!
You can listen to the podcast here

➡️ Selfcare : it’s you against you

As a final thought:
For everyone who sometimes feels like they’re struggling—like I did last week—remember: it’s only in your head.
And like everything else, this too shall pass. 💛

The next newsletter will be sent from the mountains,
because I’m going on a short skiiii trip! ⛷⛷⛷

bye!
X Ingrid