What Michael Scott can Teach us about Marketing

By Megan Germane

Fans of NBC’s “The Office” likely have a love/hate relationship with Michael Scott.  The Dunder Mifflin Paper Company regional manager, played by Steve Carell, was often a bumbling fool with a lack of social skills and no business (or common) sense.  He was certainly never someone to mimic—personally or professionally.

But every so often, Michael surprised us all with his social savvy and business acumen.  And every so often, one of his crazy ideas turned out to be the best idea.  (Remember when his Dunder Mifflin commercial was far superior to corporate’s?)  Perhaps Michael’s best idea—one that we should imitate—is to add a personal touch to a marketing campaign.

When office temp Ryan is promoted to the corporate office, he designs a website to sell Dunder Mifflin paper directly to consumers through the ease of technology.  Michael is convinced that a personal relationship is far more important (and superior) to a client than ease of ordering, so he creates a handful of gift baskets to give to former clients with the intent to woo them back.  (Season 4, episodes 3 & 4.)

After all, as Michael Scott taught us, “In the end, life and business are about human connections.”

Michael and Dwight (one of Michael’s employees and assistant to the regional manager) set out to visit half a dozen former clients hoping to reconnect with them in person, give them a gift basket, and win back their business.  While most former clients graciously accept the gift basket, Michael quickly finds that they aren’t the instant fix he thought they’d be. 

When Michael returns to the office discouraged, it’s yet unknown if the gift baskets will earn back former business, yet he’s still optimistic that a personal touch is superior to technology. 

While Michael’s approach is likely a little too aggressive, the principle behind it is a solid one. Businesses who design their marketing strategy with their customers in mind, are doing it the right way!  This principle of the “personal touch” can apply to customer communication, branding and packaging, product development, social media interaction, how-to videos, product tutorials, etc. 

With technology and instant experiences so readily available, competitive companies will look for ways to set themselves apart. And one of the most effective ways to distinguish expertise is through the customer experience—in essence, adding a personal touch to all aspects of their campaigns.  After all, as Michael Scott taught us, “In the end, life and business are about human connections.”