If I may ask, "What's your definition of *mean* marketing?" In my more than a decade experience with companies, people have always asked for smart ways to market a product or service. I haven't found anyone trying to be *mean* with customers, as the word definitely doesn't carries a positive connotation.
As far as smart marketing is concerned, designing a campaign is dependent on various factors, not limited to following:
1. Understanding your market niche
2. Understanding your customer niche
3. Selecting appropriate media and platforms to market
4. Innovating your campaign by capturing latest trends
5. Adopting appropriate execution strategy so as to keep it long enough to cover the subject and short enough to raise the interest
6. Any many more tactical planning.....
I hope above to be of some help!!
We are launching a new podcast called Shatter The Matrix, early next month. This has been in the planning stages since October, and has made quantum leaps in refinement since its inception. The single most helpful piece of advice we've really taken to heart is to get absolutely clear on who our avatar is.
Create a whole persona around your ideal user. Really get into their head; figure out who they are, where they are in life, what they want, and give it to them. Even give them a name, just as if you're writing a short story. Get that specific. Know them inside and out.
So often, we think we know what people want. Unless we know exactly who we are targeting, and are thinking like them, this can be a dangerous assumption – as tremendous amounts of time and resources can be put into a project that doesn't yet have a clearly defined end user.
Take the time to get 100% clear on your avatar, and I assure you it will pay off a thousandfold.
Best to you in your launch.
Aloha, aaron-jason