Principles of Marketing: Van Damme Performs Epic Split in Volvo Ad

As technology evolves, marketers are facing new challenges positioning their brands and making their valuable message stand out from the crowd. These parameters might get one to think that the basic principles of marketing have changed too. Some things change while others don’t.

The shift from print – radio – billboards – TV – to the internet requires a whole new range of skills and capabilities along with new ways of thinking. Today, more than ever before marketers need to identify needs, communicate benefits (not features) and build immerse experiences that engage customers. While all this is accomplished, one basic marketing principle remains unchanged: DIFFERENTIATION.

Basic Principles of Marketing: Differentiation

Last week Volvo and Jean-Claude van Damme, one of the world’s most famous martial artists and star of Hollywood blockbusters such as “Bloodsport”, “Kickboxer”, “Hard Target” and “The Expendables 2” have released a very powerful commercial.

Van Damme takes the lead role in Volvo Trucks’ latest ad ‘The Epic Split’ and performs one of his famous splits between 2 reversing trucks. This incredible world-first stunt was filmed in Spain on a closed-off landing field at sunrise.

The purpose of the ad is to demonstrate the stability and precision of Volvo Dynamic Steering – a world first technology that makes the new Volvo FM easier to drive.

The following 1:17 minutes YouTube commercial was seen by over 23 million people in one week alone! Enjoy the experience.

Jean-Claude Van Damme and Volvo Trucks

The Epic Split

Jean-Claude van Damme said it’s the most epic of splits he ever performed. What do you think?

Brand differentiation message x powerful commercial = a top of mind experience.

Differentiation (or ‘competitive advantage’) is the key to business. All business strategy is differentiation strategy: it’s HOW + WHY + WHERE are you different and better than your competitors.

Customers always want to know “Why should I buy from you rather than from someone else? And you better give me a better reason than your competitor does or I’ll buy from your competitor.”

The marketing principle of differentiation hasn’t changed. What changed is our attention span. With an average attention span of a gold fish (less than 9 seconds!) marketers are challenged to create ads and deliver messages that have an immediate impact.

What do you think?

In your opinion, did the following basic principles of marketing – specialization, segmentation and concentration – change? What about differentiation? Looking forward to your feedback in the comments below.

Image: Canva