In the vast universe of marketing, there are twelve golden “common sense” rules for reaching your goal.
This is what Jean-Paul Tréguer, the visionary French marketing expert, teaches us in his eleventh and final book: “Common Sense Marketing”: in 176 pages and 12 chapters he makes available what he has understood in over forty years of experience in the field.
Tréguer, after a long career as an entrepreneur in the field of advertising in Paris, settled a few years ago in Sardinia, where he became the producer of the well-known wine “Rosé So Chic!”, and where he is co-CEO of the communication agency VistaJPT .
He himself asks us to imagine a world where change is the only constant, where every day brings with it new innovations, new techniques to reach consumers. Artificial Intelligence opens the doors to possibilities that until recently seemed like science fiction. But what does all this mean for marketing? Do we really need to rewrite the rules of the game?
Jean-Paul tells us no. Despite the constant flow of new things, there are fundamental principles that stand the test of time. His “Golden Rules of Common Sense Marketing” are like a lighthouse guiding us through the choppy waters of modern marketing.
One of Jean-Paul’s most precious teachings, the first one he talks about in his book, is linked to the power of simplicity (”KISS Keep It Simple and Sexy”) In an era in which we are inundated with information, capturing Consumer attention requires clear, direct and, let’s face it, sexy messages! It’s easy to fall into the trap of complexity, but it’s simplicity that ultimately triumphs.
“Be careful, simple is not easy! Today, with the knowledge and means of our time, it is easy to make things complex, but difficult to make things simple. I like simple ideas, not easy ideas” (Jean-Pierre Nadir. Entrepreneur & Capital Investor)
The human brain, increasingly divided between a thousand distractions, has a constantly declining attention span. Jean-Paul reminds us that we only have a few seconds (we’re talking about 8 seconds of average attention span) to capture the interest of a potential customer. This is why simplicity becomes fundamental: it must be like a flash, impossible to ignore.
An obvious example of this principle is offered by Apple. Steve Jobs dedicated his entire life to creating products that make consumers’ lives easier. Apple’s communications have always been simple and essential, focused on the product itself. Is the result? Extraordinary success.
But simplicity is not easy. It is easy to complicate things, but difficult to make them simple. This is why it is so important to go back to the basics, to the simplicity of common sense.
So, dear marketers, always remember: when everything seems complicated, go back to common sense. Be simple, be clear in your proposals (with the famous USP, Unique Selling Proposition), be sexy and creative, and you will see your efforts rewarded with success.
Finally, in a world where simplicity is increasingly rare, embrace it as a precious treasure. Because, as Jean Paul Tréguer says, simplicity is true common sense in modern marketing.
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