The key to successful marketing: Build relevance; reduce the noise.

Why marketing has become so noisy.

The digital era has introduced many exciting innovations for marketers. Being able to personalise marketing ‘at scale’ and place communications in native environments naturally enhances user experiences. Real-time tracking and tracing means we can quickly shift a campaign approach based on user behaviour and engagement. And with automation and AI-driven engagement, we can use chatbots, predictive analytics, and automated workflows to stay engaged with people.

The result is a seamless, ‘always-on’ interactive environment with a human-like touch.

Sounds good doesn’t it? But as attractive as ‘always-on’ sounds, there is a downside. All this personalised content that’s designed to seamlessly blend into our world so effortlessly, can sometimes feel like an assault on the senses. A constant distraction that needs to be cleared before we can get to the main events in our day.

Always-on doesn't always mean better.

Always-on marketing is supposed to be the foundation of brand presence, awareness and continuous prospect and customer engagement. It’s supposed to enable us to develop deeper and more valuable relationships with organisations and their brands.

And sometimes it does, especially in post-purchase stages of the buyer’s cycle, where brands build loyalty through exceptional customer services and experiences.

But it’s at the pointy end of marketing – the lead generation, top of the funnel, and outbound stages – where people experience the noise and clutter in their email inboxes and social media feeds.

Personally, I think it started to build up during the COVID years when we all went into lock-down and we couldn’t catch up in person. Many of my clients agree that in their well-meaning attempts to overcome being disconnected from customers and prospects through those lock-down years, they may have overdone it (just a bit) on the digital marketing.

Where we’ve ended up is in a place where each day we face a fresh tsunami of content that just feels like a relentless bombardment of ‘stuff’.

And rather than encouraging any of us to actually deepen our relationships with organisations, it just distracts us. And rather than encouraging us to feel closer to one another, it actually separates us even more.  

So, what can we do to turn the tide and create content that builds relevance, rather than creates noise?

Five ways to build relevance, and reduce the noise.

No. 1 – Plan before you go-to-market.

The trick to getting better outcomes from any Growth Marketing programme is to plan first, then act. Measure twice; cut once, as they say in many a trade.

We all understand the value of strategy and planning. The challenge is finding the time, people and headspace to do it properly. One of my clients is a master on the white board. She’ll draw out her intentions for each tactic and campaign clearly mapping what she wants her customers and prospects to experience as a result of each one. But she’s more the exception than the rule.

Strategy and planning is the one opportunity to consider what the actual end user experience will be. But with so many marketing departments being deadline driven with a focus on getting things out the door, this critical step can be overlooked. Taking a step back and thinking through what customers are going to experience if we do this, then that, is important. Because it’s often in these sessions that people have great ideas they wouldn’t otherwise have had.

No. 2 - Invest in great ideas.

I still believe that effective brand and marketing communications start with a great idea. When it’s nurtured and developed (sometimes with humour, other times with moving integrity) a really good idea evolves into a series of experiences. And these experiences become ‘make me care’ moments that stick in people’s minds.  

So how do you do that? With great creative. There’s no other way. You have to invest time to develop good creative that will cut through the noise and deliver points of relevance.

No. 3 – Understand your audience.

Brands work when they connect with us on a human level – i.e., they behave in an authentic way. Most people only trust other people if they’re real, responsible, sensitive, and sensible. And it’s the same with brands.

My belief is that people don’t just ‘buy’ products and services, they actually ‘buy into’ the values and promises that surround them. So, rather than just segmenting your audiences in traditional ways – location, age, gender and life stage, etc – consider also what your audiences believe in and what values they have. Then develop your brand communications to align with these.

No. 4 – Balance logic with emotion - it’s the key to relevance.

Products and services need to deliver something tangible (like a successful outcome) but they also need to satisfy our emotional needs. It's this balance between rational and emotional value that makes a brand feel relevant.

Why do some people always choose Qantas over Virgin? Why do some always buy PCs over Macs? In both scenarios you'll reach your destination and you'll get your work done. But I doubt an Apple loyalist, or a Virgin Lounge regular, would feel completely comfortable with the alternative.

That's because people don't just evaluate products and services on what they do. They also judge how they make them feel. The strongest brands understand this. They combine functional benefits with emotional connection to create experiences that feel authentic, familiar and relevant. When customers buy into your brand, they're buying into the confidence, values and identity that surround it – not just the product or service itself.

No. 5 – Tell a memorable story.

I think it really oversimplifies things to describe brand and marketing specialists as ‘storytellers’. But I do agree that with customer decision journeys often spanning months or years, you need to give audiences reasons to check back into your brand (often via the website) for fresh updates, new episodes, and unique insights to keep them engaged.  

It should feel like an ongoing story (or relationship). But the trick is, not doing it in a way that adds to the noise and clutter. It’s important to give people control of their experience so you allow them to choose their level of interaction. Which takes us back to the intro section, because AI and cognitive systems give us tremendous potential to add genuine value to people lives, rather than noise.

With cognitive intelligence at work, we can make sense of people’s data trails. This gives us a unique opportunity to really think through how we’re reaching people, and for what purpose. My personal view is, if it doesn’t add value, or align with your brand values, don’t do it. I mean, why would you?

In conclusion: Build relevance, not interruption.

Just because technology gives us more ways to reach people doesn't mean we should use them all. Technology (including AI and intelligent automation) has given marketers unprecedented opportunities to personalise experiences and communicate at scale. But with that comes a responsibility to use these capabilities thoughtfully – to treat customers and their data with the same care and respect you would a friend or colleague. It's easy to forget that every message we send competes for attention in an already busy day.

Used well, tech can help reduce the noise rather than add to it. It can deliver more relevant, timely and meaningful experiences that respect people's preferences and give them greater control over how and when they engage. In doing so, it helps brands build trust, strengthen relationships and create genuine value.

Will this solve every marketing challenge? Probably not. But if we focus on creating relevance instead of simply increasing reach, we'll be moving in the right direction.