Just imagine a world where every marketing campaign is a carbon copy of its predecessor. Where brands blend into a sea of sameness, offering little to differentiate themselves. In today’s AI-happy, digital landscape, standing out demands boldness.

I’ll start with what isn’t being bold. More of the same. Ramping up spend on your LinkedIn always-on campaign. Sending more emails, to the same people but with slightly different offers. Taking the same space at an event because you always do.

Same, same, it’s safe and the outcomes are fairly predictable, but they’ll probably also tail off without a significant refresh. Or a splash of the bold.

What’s being bold then, and how might it create a ripple effect, nudging your outcomes towards that much needed boost?

Well, let’s look at one situation, the trade show with a smart, corporate booth backdrop, clinically approved messaging and some nice enough swag that might just make it home. Nothing bold about that, and safe enough, with nothing really to go wrong either (except if no traffic wanders by, your pre-show activity not whetting the appetite to find out more). Does it give your offer a chance to really shine in the face of competitors though? So, how about joining the innovation showcase then, a few $k more spend for what? The opportunity to hone a pitch with incisive messaging explaining your fit with this space, demonstrable benefits and proving you understand your prospects’ needs. Sure, it’s a one off – 10 mins, hit or miss, since no-one might show up – or is it? Maybe by merely positioning yourself as innovative, by getting on that agenda listing, you’re raising an eyebrow with prospects who just didn’t consider you to be any different from all the others. And maybe they can’t all make that 10 min presentation slot, and aren’t committed enough yet to sit down at the hosted dinner on offer, but they saw your booth the next day and were interested enough to find out more, or search for your blog posts or follow you on LinkedIn. Boldness is acting differently and maybe, just by doing something a bit unexpected you can unleash a thread which finds new ways to new customers. Question the safe way and prepare for a new offensive.

The calculated risk is of course worthy of a lot of thought. Cap the spend to a reasonable amount in your context, consider what else you could do with it. What’s the risk if you do nothing? Will doing this thing help you hone and test messaging for a new, focused campaign? Measurement and metrics are always there to guide and assess; it might not be 100% the first time but you’ll know where it did get you, and you can always go back to more of the same.

Bold marketing isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s the fear of the unknown and it requires courage, creativity, and a willingness to take and stand by your calculated risks. But the rewards can be immense. By daring to be different, you can break through the noise, build stronger brand with your customers, and drive real pipeline growth. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to be bold.