When I go to a conference sponsored by several product manufacturers and am shown to my reserved table and chair, I know what the food is going to be like, what the PowerPoint slides are going to look like, and a host of other activities and communications. If I attend a small wedding in a specific type of church I can predict how the services are going to be performed. When I renew my subscription to a major magazine that I have taken for years I can guess what the layout and articles are going to be like…. (you get the point).
In all of these situations they are perfectly acceptable ways to arrange and design your communications. For most strategists, the more you meet your attendees' or subscribers' expectations the better. If I order a technical publication I don't want to read a lot of newsy stuff. In fact, I will quickly lose interest if my expectations are changed too far from where I want them, and could decide to discontinue my relationship.
On the other, if you are creating a brand new marketing campaign, if you expect your target audience to take a serious look at what you have to offer, you will need to be experimental and daring to attract their attention. So how can you accomplish both of these objectives?
One excellent strategy is to position your company as one that always comes up with something new and different. That way, when you do present something different they will feel rewarded by your ingenuity, as usual. And that's a great way to be perceived.
