The Feather Effect

Marketers spend more than $790 billion each year1 promoting their brands to customers and prospects. Although many think advertising must have a massive impact on its audience in order to be effective, it’s often the more subtle effects of consistent, repetitive promotion that influence which brands get noticed.

Small things can make a big difference

Consider two products with similar features and benefits. Same price. Comparable marketplace perception. In marketing a product of this type, something small—such as a print or TV ad, a coupon or even a memorable slogan—could be all it takes to tip the scale in one brand’s favor. Think of these minor effects as “feathers,” something small and lightweight, added to one side of the scale.2

How the Feather Effect works

When audiences can’t distinguish the differences between brand benefits, a marketing “feather” can shift the balance in one brand’s favor.2

Even a single feather can tip the scale in one brand’s favor. Through the process of repetition, these “feathers” can gradually produce major perceived differences between brands—and ultimately create an even greater preference for a brand.

Conclusion: sales + marketing = better performance

Sales people and sales managers who rely solely on a sales mindset leave out a powerful tool from their arsenal — a tool known as marketing. At a macro level, corporations almost never go to market using marketing only. Many, however, try to make it on sales alone. Through the years, in case after case, these “sales only” companies become much more successful — greater revenue, higher margins and more profit — when they add marketing to their mix.

Now, here’s the important point, added together, sales and marketing multiply each other’s effectiveness. Why? Because sales is aimless without marketing, and marketing is powerless without sales.

1Navarro J.G. (2023, October 30). Global advertising spending 2022. Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/273288/advertising-spending-worldwide/

2Sutherland M, Sylvester A. Advertising and the mind of the consumer. 2nd ed. Allen & Unwin. Australia; 2000.