Everywhere we turn now, we’re being bombarded by ads, marketing campaigns, pushes to buy now! As a consumer, it’s exhausting. As a business owner, discouraging. But as a marketing agency, we have a unique middle ground stance in the tension this creates. On the one hand, our job is to help businesses reach their target audience through creative marketing, hopefully leading to conversions. On the other hand, we do this best when we can identify with the potential customer and deliver the pitch in such a way that it is welcome, not harassing.
You know the “look-at-me” friend who constantly needs attention? Traditional sales techniques feel like this, and believe me, the majority of your audience sees right through it. They don’t want what you’re selling if you have to sell it that hard. So, what do we do then? How do we “get people to like us,” to engage with us, and to hopefully become customers? I’m gonna tell it to you like your mama probably did when you were 12: maybe the answer is in just being yourself, having fun and trusting that the right customers are going to be drawn to this kind of authenticity and energy. You see, people don’t remember marketing campaigns; they remember how you made them feel. Connections create conversations, and this leads to conversions. Engaged customers aren’t just data points; they become friends, fans, and your very best word-of-mouth cheerleaders.
Maybe it’s so much easier than most of us realize. When you lighten up, and let your marketing be more authentic, a little more playful, you stop being just a brand—and you start being someone people want to talk to. This doesn’t require a massive budget, but a mindset shift. It’s about showing up human and inviting others to join you, even in your most ordinary moments. Let’s talk about seven ways to be creative and light a spark with your marketing—ways anyone can do, no matter your size or stage.
Consider a Mascot
Let’s start with the easiest way to give your brand a heartbeat. Every ship needs a captain. For Cup O Code, that’s our own little penguin buddy, Glytch. He shows up everywhere—sometimes in jokes, sometimes dressed for the season, sometimes just hanging out on a billboard or sticker—but he always sparks a smile and a “hey, I know them!” He isn’t just a logo, he’s immediate brand recognition and playfulness, and I think Dave and Tim have a lot more fun playing dress up with him than they want to admit.
Your mascot doesn’t have to be a cartoon animal. The people, things and images that inspire us… any of these can become part of our branding! ThinkBIG, a pediatric cancer fund serving families in Central Pennsylvania, found their inspo through a young boy named Carmine who fought cancer bravely and was always “thinking big” about what he wanted to be when he grew up. The owners of Cora’s Isle-End Deli on Topsail Island, NC named their restaurant after their beloved pup who became a part of their whimsical advertising and greeted visitors to the shop.
Try this: Play. Doodle. Think about what inspires you. Who could represent your brand’s story? Let them out into the wild—even if it’s just a quick guest appearance on your next email or Facebook post.
Spice Up Your Giveaways
Anyone can give out a prize or raffle off a t-shirt. The real fun comes when you turn it into something memorable. Cup O Code is doing this right now with their Click or Treat campaign! Every day, folks could face a haunted digital door and either win a trick (booby prize!) or a treat (think a free billboard, a big website discount, half-price hosting—the works) just by daring to knock on a virtual door. We made it free to play, and people have genuinely played—they look forward to seeing what would happen, and trust me, that’s worth its weight in gold.
Your Island Treasure, a jewelry design company based in coastal NC, hosted a creative series of virtual treasure hunts this past summer in an effort to drive traffic to their website. Followers could hunt for the “X marks the spot” hidden within the pages of their website and click on it to enter a drawing for one of their gorgeous jewelry pieces. Even if you offer services rather than products, a giveaway can keep you top-of-mind and encourage good will and fun with your audience. Tiffany Moyer, an NC-based realtor, decided to gift free family photoshoots (just in time for the holidays, too) to her clients to show her gratitude and in the hopes of future referrals.
Try this: Think of a giveaway you’d genuinely want, then design the simplest, most delightful way to win or gift it. Keep it simple: both the rules and the time commitment. Rotate treats that reflect your brand’s personality, and let curiosity become your retention engine.
Pull, Don’t Push
You know the difference between a push and a pull? It has to do with force and direction. Pushing moves objects away from you while pulling brings them closer. People respond to these physics in the same way. As businesses, we need to learn how to sell our products without pushing them so hard we repel our audience. Letting your guard down and showing your silly, real, or even vulnerable side is sort of like a pull. It draws people in and allows relationships to grow.
Sometimes it’s as ridiculous as jumping on the latest Instagram or TikTok trend (the #ghostphotoshootchallenge comes to mind), or as everyday as sharing what happened when Tim from our team tried to MacGyver his way out of a wasp invasion. Was it productive? Not exactly. Did people love it? Absolutely. Remember to say “Happy National Donut Day!” or “Here’s how we decorate our desks for Halloween.” Not everything has to be a pitch. Being present in these little ways tells your people you’re paying attention to real life, not just the bottom line.
Try this: Pick a moment this week—fun, awkward, messy, sweet—and share it with your audience, with no expectation attached. You’ll be amazed at the engagement it sparks.
Give Back
Here’s something close to my heart: giving back isn’t a marketing trick. It’s a way to live out your values, plain and simple. At Cup O Code, it’s woven into the fabric of what we do. (We even wrote a whole blog about this recently, which you can read here.) As business owners, we have the unique opportunity to be catalysts for positive change in this world. We have platforms, resources, and networks that can amplify good in ways we might not even realize.
Consider our recently launched Reader Roast—a site just for promoting a love of books and reading, rewarding people (kids and adults alike!) for reviews. This didn’t cost us much, but the ripple effect? HUGE. Every time someone wins a donated coffee or new book, we celebrate. We’ve run Sam’s Coffee Jam March Madness for local coffee shops, hosted coloring contests so kids could show off their “thankful Glytch” drawings, filmed Cup O Cuddles videos for animals at the SPCA, and sent elf messages at Christmas (thank you, Eloise the Elf!). The honest truth? We receive so much more than we could ever give away.
Try this: Is there a cause tugging at you? Something your community needs? Don’t overthink it. Share your skills, your platform, or a few extra dollars—and let people know why it matters to you. Spreading joy is contagious.
Sponsor What Matters to You
Yeah, I could have combined this with giving back, but it’s not really the same, is it? Here’s how I think of the difference: giving back is a gift with no ask in return; sponsorship is a friendship where both sides benefit. And both have their place.
Sponsorship gets a bad rap sometimes, like it’s just another ad. But it’s not—at least, not if you lead with your heart. We’ve sponsored go-kart races (high-fives to Kasi and Selingsgrove Speedway!), and the Reel Housewives of Topsail Island’s bike ride, an organization that supported one of our own through a cancer journey. When you pick partnerships because they mean something to you—not just for a logo placement—your audience sees the real you.
Try this: What lights you up outside work—sports, music, animals, a charity close to your heart? Support that, talk about it, and let your brand proudly wear its heart on its sleeve.
Celebrate Together
Let’s be real—this journey is hard work. If we don’t stop to celebrate, what’s the point? Whether it’s an employee’s birthday, a record week, or just surviving a tough Monday, mark the moment.
Down East Granite, located in Mechanicsburg, PA, excels at celebrating their employees’ work anniversaries with cake and a public shout out for everyone from the workshop to the boardroom! At Cup O Code, we plan monthly lunch dates where it’s all about the relationships. We even go the extra mile to include our remote crew with DoorDash so no one misses out. Not only do these unexpected gestures warm everyone’s heart, they remind your team they belong, that you’re more than just a sales machine.
Try this: Next milestone, make it public. Shout out an employee, post a photo of your “We Did It!” lunch, or share a thank you from a happy client. Let your people shine.
Be Bold, Try Something New
Change is the only guarantee, my friends. Staying fresh means daring to experiment. Do I have all the answers? Not a chance—but I do know that trying something that makes you a bit nervous often brings the sweetest rewards. (Hey, we wrote a blog article about this here recently, too! Read it here.)
The team at Slice of the Paranormal aren’t afraid of different! While building a site for their ghost-hunting show, they opted to add a custom EMF simulator to allow visitors to do their own ghost hunting. Who does that? Someone unafraid of a little weird, that’s who.
Try this: Open up a “crazy idea” jar and let the team drop in ideas—no matter how wild. Once a quarter, pick one and run with it. Measuring and learning is half the fun; the rest is in the stories you’ll have to tell.
Ready to Have Some Fun?
Life’s too short for boring marketing (and it’s counterproductive anyway). If we can learn to have fun by stretching ourselves, building a brand that pulls people, inviting them to connect with us, we’ll find the engagement we’re after. And this will ultimately lead to more sales because people want to choose you, not just your product.
Your Kickstart Action Plan (Next 14 Days):
- Dream up (or dust off) a mascot—let them make an appearance
- Launch a not-so-ordinary giveaway or game
- Post something goofy, heartfelt, or just plain real—skip the sales talk
- Find one way your business can serve (support a cause or show up at an event)
- Celebrate an employee’s or the team’s win—publicly!
- Set tiny goals: a few more comments, a new referral, an uptick in site visits. Notice the patterns.
- Start a “wild ideas” folder, and give yourself permission to play
When you’re ready for more—or just want to brainstorm and dream with a friend—reach out to us at Cup O Code. We’re here, cheering you on, along for the ride and ready to be first in line for the fun.
