We’ve all heard the old saying “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” These are valuable words about conjuring deeper feelings and connections instead of just making transactions. Marketing goes beyond just taking care of a need. Marketing a business also needs to incorporate status, pride, lifestyle, respect, trust… and marketing magic.
Is there such a thing as magic? Of course there is! Magic doesn’t need to be all witches and woo-woo. Love is magical. Trust is magical. Smiles and laughter are magical. Giving and receiving can be magical. Going above and beyond to help someone is magical. Relationships can be magic. Moments can be magical. Your business and product marketing hopefully includes bits of all that marketing magic.
What would be more memorable, a great meal ser
ved at an average establishment, or a great meal served in a unique setting by one of the nicest, engaging waitstaff you’ve ever met? That great meal might sizzle but it’s the marketing magic of the atmosphere and relationships that are going to fuel the business magic of loyalty and word of mouth.
Word of mouth is the holy grail of magical marketing. We know that bad experiences with a product or company are more apt to spread. So, any average businesses without a unique product, service, story… without any “magic”, simply isn’t going to conjure positive word of mouth. Sure, with enough money dumped into advertising anything can be sold, but magic marketing is about relationships over the longer term (brand building) and honest relationships can’t be bought.
Business Planning with Magic
Show, don’t tell. Serve don’t sell. It’s about positive, magical “feelings” not just products and services. Strong company Mission Statements go beyond generating sales and profits, they need to include the core purpose of why you do what you do. Helping people? Saving the world or making a difference in your community? Making your work fulfilling and rewarding (personally and/or for your staff)? “Do what you love, love what you do.” With that magic woven into your mission, operations, and offerings it is then time to make sure your marketing reflects that magic.
There’s no better reward for the work we do than getting positive feedback – a smile, a laugh, a compliment, a great review, a referral, a new fan or “insider”. To have a magical, money-making business you need magical marketing that conjures and sustains magical feelings. And once those feelings, moments, and relationships are established, it is essential to make it as easy as possible for them to spread. Don’t forget the tools to push that along like easy access to your social media channels, custom promotional stickers, and an obvious reason to “come back soon.”
When someone is unhappy, complains, or is otherwise not a fan of an interaction with your service or product, should we play the numbers game and let it (and them) go? That’s one way to handle it. We’ve all heard about “firing” bad customers. But, a business powered by magic marketing will make attempts to conjure solutions, apologies, a referral that redirects them to a better option, etc. If you love and are proud of what you do, even the complainers need a peek into who you really are – that you care deeply – that your business believes in magic.
Steve Jobs said, “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” If you are not doing what you love perhaps you should do something else or make some changes to your current business/mission. If you are “living the dream”, does it come through as magic marketing? In your identity? Is it playful, personal, inspiring, helpful, trustworthy? Can everybody feel the magic? Customers and clients need to feel the magic before they can help spread the magic.
Jeff Nicholson is the founder and Creative Director at 
