What the Tour de France has in common with marketing campaigns

I am a bit of a cycling bod, one of those people who try’s to cycle as much as they can (to/from work,  to the pub, etc..)  without getting too preachy or smug about it.

This time of the year is particularity exciting for me, as filling the airways of ITV is the Tour De France, with three weeks of non-stop cycle racing.

Settling down to watch the highlights last night (with a brain still obviously in work mode) it struck me that marketing campaigns actually have a fair amount in common with the great tour.

Within any stage of  a cycle race of this size you generally end up with two groups:

1. The Pelaton – This is where riders end up grouped together with the bulk of their competitors. While you have little advances, break-aways and position changes, the overall group stays the same.
2. The Breakaway - At some point in the race you will get a few riders who decide to breakaway from the pelaton to make a name or establish a position for themselves. This break may be a genuine attempt to win the race or to help other team members to gain an advantage. To do this successfully takes a huge amount of effort as opposed to riding in the slipstream of the group but some have the determination and will to make a difference.

Now to get to the point (there is one I promise). In marketing, advertising and PR I am always amazed at how many campaigns and agencies are happy to stick with the same old ideas not willing to push the boundary. This for me is like the pelaton, all the campaigns sit alongside each other and while there are small advances and changes in their make-up they are all pretty much the same.

Occasionally, very occasionally you get a breakaway. A campaign or an agency comes along that is not happy to stay with the bunch and makes an effort to break from the norm and come up with something truly original (Think Cadbury’s gorilla).

Looking back at the others I would say sure, following the crowd, riding in the pelaton is safe. But hand on heart, can you honestly say that you are making a genuine attempt to win.

Hats off to the breakaway marketeers!