Cutting through the noise at Black Hat: How to stand out in a ‘Red Ocean’ market
By Robin Campbell-Burt, CEO at Code Red
There was intense competition between vendors on show at this year’s Black Hat. Marketing leaders are feeling the pressure. Time and again, I heard the phrase, “We are in a ‘Red Ocean’ market.” Red Oceans are known markets where rivals are fighting for the same limited customer base and growth only comes at the expense of a competitor’s share.
Differentiation is an uphill battle in a crowded market. Vendors’ brands blur together as messaging collides to target the same customers. Prospects are bombarded with similar cliché: a sea of noise results and standing out from the crowd feels nigh-on impossible.
The pressure to deliver at pace can further push marketing teams to reduce the time actually needed to produce content. An overreliance on internal sources—like messaging frameworks, product sheets, and other pre-approved text results. Content rapidly becomes lacklustre and two-dimensional, totally disconnected from the intended audience. In a market as crowded as this one, that kind of content simply adds to the noise rather than cutting through it.
The power of the customer’s voice
The answer to creating content that will cut through the noise, thankfully lies with the very people you’re trying to reach – the customers and potential customers you’re building a relationship with.
Their voices—their real words, phrases, experiences, and perspectives—are the lifeline you need. It is only when you really understand the working world in which they operate and the way they describe it, that you will be able to differentiate how you communicate. You can’t speak to your customers unless you really understand the world that they live in.
Speaking from experience, when you let your customers’ voices guide your marketing, you breathe life into your content, making it relatable, engaging, and, most importantly, effective.
Practical steps for marketing leaders
There are several ways you can bring the customer back into the narrative. Below are five key starting points we suggest when working with our clients:
- Conduct customer interviews: Don’t just guess—go straight to the source. Regularly engage with your customers to understand their challenges, and let these insights shape your messaging. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.
- Use real customer language: Ditch the jargon. Speak the language your customers use. It’s more personal, more relatable, and infinitely more effective.
- Create content with empathy: It’s not just about what your customers say—it’s about how they feel. Address the emotional aspects of their experiences, and your content will stand out in ways that mere facts and figures never could.
- Involve your team: Get your marketing team involved in customer conversations. The more they connect with the audience, the better the content they’ll produce. Plus, it fosters a customer-first culture within your organisation.
- Make it a continual process: Connecting with customer voices needs to be a continuous cycle of activity, month in, month out, it’s not just part of an annual marketing planning exercise
To sum up, the key to standing out is simple: connect with your customers. Their voices carry the truth and will spark the creativity needed to create content that cuts through the noise. By listening—and I mean really listening—you’ll create content that not only engages but also builds stronger, lasting connections that set your brand apart.
So, as you navigate these ‘Red Ocean’ waters, remember this: Your customers aren’t just your audience—they’re your co-pilots. Let them guide you, and you’ll find that cutting through the noise isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable.
Contact us at Code Red if you would like more advice on bringing the customer voice into your marketing and communications.