Sometimes it's not about being smart, it's about being clever!

In marketing, sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel, or even come up with a great new product. Sometimes it's just about being smart and listening to your customer.

Consider Diamond Shreddies. What are Diamond Shreddies? Well they're just regular Shreddies photographed at a 45 degree angle. Seriously! The month that Shreddies launched their campaign, sales rose by 18%! That's a smart idea.

Another great example is the great feature on the 2013 Ford Escape ~ the foot activated truck opener.

In the competitive automaker world, having a simple, unique feature is difficult to find. Ford have really listened to their customers, done some creative thinking, and come up with a novel feature that makes their product stand out. Smart, maybe. Clever, yes.

So next time you're stuck on a campaign, go back to basics, consider your product, and be clever!