I’ve discussed the stages of awareness that your customers could be in. Next is the sophistication of your market, which essentially means how much marketing your customers have been exposed to. This isn’t a metric. It’s more so a guide so you can evaluate where your marketing is. This is another invaluable lesson from Breakthrough Advertising. 

Unfortunately, like the stages of consumer awareness, there are also stages in the sophistication of your consumer. 

1. If you’re first to market

2. If you’re second to market

3. If your market has been exposed to marketing from many of your competitors

4. If a competitor has clearly improved their product

5. And how to revive a dead product

If you’re first to market

“Be simple. Be direct. And above all, don’t be fancy. Name either the need of the claim in your headline, nothing more.”

If you’re second to market

Stick with the same needs and claims, but more creative. Dramatize, enlargen, humorize, shock, etc.

If your market has been exposed to marketing from many of your competitors

Find a new mechanism or feature to attach to your product, or that helps the consumer further solve their needs.

If a competitor has clearly improved their product

Be creative with the features or mechanisms related to your product. Similar to stage 2.

And how to revive a dead product

Like it was said in the last stage of consumer awareness:

 “So you cannot mention price, product, function, or desire. What do you have left? Your market.“

This means to relate to the consumer, not through the need or the promise. Just try to understand what page they are on.

If this explanation on the sophistication of your market makes you want to further analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your current marketing strategy, contact me below.