• Sometimes, brands need to discourage customers who are not the ideal fit. 
• The core of this marketing strategy is to create and maintain a solid and loyal customer base. 

The core concept of the “Discourage the Undesirable” marketing strategy is to weed out customers who are a bad fit for the product or service. The strategy aims to attract ideal customers who will have a positive experience with the brand and have the potential to generate ongoing revenue. 

The implementation of this strategy varies depending on the business, but it’s important to understand the definition of an “Undesirable” customer. Usually, such customers do not have the budget for the product’s value proposition, so they tend to misuse the product, leading to customer service issues. Also, these customers have unrealistic expectations and requirements, which puts extra pressure on the company’s resources. 

While discouraging undesirables, brands must ensure they do not appear rude and exclusionary. Instead, they should communicate the product’s value proposition and target audience. Even if the strategy seems beneficial, brands must ensure the focus remains on attracting ideal customers through various campaigns. 

How Did Volvo Successfully Use the “Discourage the Undesirable” Marketing Strategy? 

Volvo is a large Swedish multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is well known for its safety and luxury features. Volvo’s marketing strategy is a subtle yet powerful example of “Discourage the Undesirable.” They intelligently use marketing messages to place the brand not on thrill seekers but on those who value safety and luxury. 

They do not directly say that “our cars aren’t for thrill seekers” but intelligently curated marketing messages that seamlessly resonate with customers who value safety over speed and excitement. It should be noted that Volvo is well known for its safety features, and its cars are believed to be among the safest on the road. 

Strategic Focus on Safety Features

Volvo’s commercials and ad copies strategically emphasized its industry-leading safety features, such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, intelligent suspension, etc. These features and the marketing messages appealed to drivers who prioritize safety for themselves and their families. 

This strategy subconsciously deters drivers who associate driving with a sense of exhilaration, adrenaline rush, or risk. All their marketing materials depict responsible driving scenarios, such as families on road trips, safe commutes, navigating lousy weather conditions, etc. This imagery discouraged those who might want to use their cars for reckless driving or joyriding. 

Strong Brand Image of Reliability and Security

Volvo skillfully capitalizes on the brand image of dependability, reliability, and security. Marketing campaigns showcase the cars’ longevity while emphasizing their strong safety record. These messages discourage buyers who seek a car for an adrenaline rush and appeal to those who want a dependable vehicle for everyday life. 

Although the marketing message might seem outlandish, mundane, or boring and not fit in a world where every other brand was targeting thrill-seeking audiences with high-performance vehicles, the tone of the messages used in the marketing material was calm, reassuring, and focused on peace of mind. This significantly discouraged the buyers who wanted a sporty or high-performance car for a thrilling ride. 

Important Considerations

It should be noted that Volvo does not directly exclude anyone. Their cars are powerful and capable machines with the latest technology. The message does not say that you should not buy our cars if you look for thrills, excitement, or an adrenaline rush. Instead, they target specific demographics of safety-conscious drivers with families. 

Eventually, these marketing messages resonated seamlessly with the target audience; people valued their offerings, increasing brand image, loyalty, and revenue. At the same time, the messages subtly deterred the customers with different priorities. 

In conclusion, if you imagine a commercial for a sporty car brand like Ferrari or Lamborghini, it would show a car speeding on a racetrack, its engine revving with powerful sound, and focusing on horsepower and handling. This would appeal to drivers who prioritize performance and excitement and deter customers with safety concerns. 

Intelligently, Volvo’s marketing messages do not exclude customers but help create a brand image that resonates with safety-conscious drivers and deters those who buy a car for speed or thrill. Hence, Volvo is a prime example of incorporating the “Discourage the Undesirable” marketing strategy. 

Why Should a Brand Use “Discourage the Undesirable” Marketing Strategy? 

As already discussed, the “Discourage the Undesirable” marketing strategy strategically filters out customers who might not be a good fit for the product or service. The main focus here is to attract the “right” or “ideal” customer who can positively contribute to the business in the long run. 

Enhanced Efficiency & Elevated Customer Experience

By incorporating this marketing strategy, brands can enhance efficiency and elevate the customer experience. By weeding out unsuitable customers, brands can save valuable resources like time, money, and personnel on sales, customer service, and support. 

These resources can then be channeled to acquire and retail ideal customers, who are more likely to have a smooth experience and generate ongoing revenue. Also, having a customer base that understands the brand and respects its offerings’ core values will positively impact the brand image, as they will have an encouraging experience. 

Having an ideal customer base helps brands in more ways than one. They spend less time resolving issues with frustrated customers who have unrealistic expectations or other issues. Eventually, proper resource allocation, when combined with an ideal customer base, elevates the customer experience. 

Reducing the Churn Rate and Ideal Brand Positioning

Undesirable customers will eventually switch brands and move to competitors. By discouraging them, brands can significantly minimize the customer churn rate. This could lead to a relatively stable and predictable customer base that the brand can count on. 

Curating and delivering the right message to the right crowd can filter the customers who might need to align with the brand image. It also helps solidify the brand positioning within the market. For example, Volvo is now synonymous with safety; it discouraged the customer segment interested in race cars, adrenaline rush, thrill, etc. 

Who are These “Undesirable” Customers?

The exact definition of an “Undesirable” customer varies depending on the business model, objective and narrative. By understanding some common characteristics of these customers, brands can have a general idea of what undesirable customers are and how to deal with them. 

Customers whose budget does not align with your product or service’s value proposition might not see the long-term benefits or be willing to pay the premium price, which is a budget mismatch. Some customers are likely to misuse your product or service, which might increase customer service needs and damage the brand’s reputation. 

For example, people sometimes use power tools like mechanical saws to cut metal, wet wood, meat, etc., damaging the saw and causing injuries. These customers would then harass customer support, demanding compensation for the damaged product. This misuse potentially places the customers on undesirable lists.  

Some customers might have expectations that your product or service simply cannot meet. This frustrates them and leads to churn. For example, makeup is meant to enhance appearance, but such people would expect drastic changes like flawless complexions, and these unrealistic expectations place them on the list. 

Sometimes, customers require an unreasonable amount of hand-holding, spoon-feeding, or support, which strains your resources and hinders your ability to serve other customers effectively. For example, some customers would need extensive support in setting up their home theater system, which could engage the support team rather than address other customers. 

How to Discourage the Undesirable and Strike a Perfect Balance?

Brands must use this marketing strategy subtly to avoid alienating potential customers. To implement this strategy, brands can use pricing strategies. Setting a premium price point can deter budget-conscious customers who might not appreciate the full value of the product or service. 

They can also set minimum order quantities and place higher minimum purchases to discourage one-time buyers and increase the chances of repeat customers. Marketers can also implement a selective application process coupled with qualifying questions to help them filter out those who might not be a good fit for your brand. 

Sometimes, using technical jargon or a complex sales pitch could directly discourage buyers who look for a simpler approach and require a clear understanding of the product and service’s value. Applying these steps can significantly discourage undesirables and allow a brand to have a loyal customer base. 

Pros and Cons of “Discourage the Undesirable” Marketing Strategy

Like every other marketing strategy, the “Discourage the Undesirable” strategy has pros and cons, as discussed below. 

Pros

Weeding out customers who might not be a good fit for your brand saves time and resources on sales, customer service, and support. Instead, they have sufficient time and resources to focus on efforts that convert and retain ideal customers who are more likely to have smoother experiences and generate more ongoing revenue. 

Having a solid customer base that understands your product’s or service’s value could lead to more positive customer experiences. Less time is spent dealing with frustrated customers, reducing customer churn rate and enhancing brand positioning. 

Cons

Using this marketing strategy always risks alienating customers who might be a good fit but not perfectly match the ideal profile. Brands can miss out on opportunities to expand their market reach and discover new customer segments. There’s a chance that the strategy might come across as exclusionary or arrogant; it can damage the brand image and create negative perceptions among potential customers. 

If marketers focus too heavily on discouraging undesirable customers, it can distract them from attracting new and ideal customers. Customers’ needs and preferences change over time in today’s evolving market. This means that a customer who is not a good fit now can be an ideal customer in the future; remaining too strict on this tactic could hinder future growth. 

In conclusion, if implemented thoughtfully, the “Discourage the Undesirable” marketing strategy can be a powerful tool. However, companies must ensure that the discouragement does not sound arrogant or exclusive and remember the ultimate goal of building and retaining a solid and loyal customer base.