Bite-Sized Blog

Playing it safe? That seems risky...

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SUMMARY‍

Taking creative risks in marketing isn't reckless. It's essential. Brands that default to safe, predictable content are more likely to be ignored than those that push creative boundaries. Here we explore why bold creative work outperforms 'vanilla' content, and how to find the right level of creative risk for your audience and funnel stage.

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THE PROBLEM WITH PLAYING IT SAFE

There are a hundred ways to influence how people think, feel and buy. But somewhere in the process of narrowing down ideas, 'right' often gets confused with 'safe' – and that's where marketing goes wrong. In digital marketing, you cannot afford to be safe.

Trying to be 100% safe is a near-guaranteed way to be 100% boring. With attention spans shorter than ever, the first three seconds of your content must make an impact. If they don't, consumers keep scrolling.

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CREATIVE RISK IS NOT OPTIONAL

Marketing is inherently a risky business. Managing that risk matters – but trying to remove it entirely almost guarantees you'll produce content that no one remembers. Bland, 'vanilla' content is actually a bigger risk than a calculated creative one.

Safe doesn't stand out. Bold does. The goal is finding the right amount of creative risk – enough to cut through the noise, without landing the whole team in an awkward meeting on Monday morning.

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WHEN TO BE BOLD VS. WHEN TO BE CLEAR

Top of funnel (awareness stage): Fight for attention. Be bold, unexpected, and memorable.
Bottom of funnel (consideration stage): Straightforward features-and-benefits content has its place – on a product page, in a comparison tool, or in a detailed explainer.

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‍KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Safe content is not low-risk, it's just high-risk in a different way
• The first 3 seconds of digital content determine whether viewers keep watching – here it's vital to build what we call Watch Equity.
• Bold, creative work performs better at the awareness stage of the funnel. Features-and-benefits content has its place, just not at the top of the funnel
• The sweet spot is calibrated creative risk: bold enough to cut through, strategic enough to serve the brand