Monthly Archives: November 2006

Naked Messages

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Nuts and Bolts

Some business owners say they don’t “buy into” marketing. They characterize their business as nuts and bolts. Providing a high quality product to the customer is the path to success.

By educating the public about the superior features of your product, people will see the truth and buy your brand.

The problem is most people aren’t interested in the naked truth. See this Jewish parable:

Truth, naked and cold, had been turned away from every door in the village. Her nakedness frightened people. When Parable found her she was huddled in a corner, shivering and hungry. Taking pity on her, Parable gathered her up and took her home. There, she dressed Truth in story, warmed her and sent her out again. Clothed in story, Truth knocked again at the villagers’ doors and was readily welcomed into the people’s houses. They invited her to eat at their table and warm herself by their fire.

Ironically, even by saying you’re a nuts and bolts business – you’re telling a story. But are the messages you send out clothed in story as well? Is the story they see on TV or on your website consistent with the story the hear when they interact with your employees or read your instruction manual?

Are you sending out the truth naked and cold to be shut out of every door? Are you giving features and markets served? Don’t be afraid to discover your story, embrace it, and tell it to others.

That goes for individuals as well as organizations.

Here’s a great example of the truth wrapped in a story (via Ernie Schenck):

Context

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Out of Context
My wife and I attended a piano concert this week. Before the pianist would play a piece, he would give some background on the composer and the meaning behind the composition.

It was amazing how knowing the background of Debussy’s General Lavine made it more meaningful. Otherwise, I would have simply considered it a pretty arrangement of notes. Especially since I barely knew who Debussy was, let alone General Lavine (a popular turn of 20th century American juggler).

A big part of communicating effectively is in conveying context. But we tend to do one of two things:

1. Assume everyone knows the context.

2. Communicate context in static, drawn out, boring, and generally uninteresting ways.

If people do know the context, then reiterating it in a creative way will only reinforce your message.

Though context surrounds your message, do not marginalize it.

“Surfing Channels” at Diet Television

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I’ve lost about 20 lbs over the last 3 months. I read over the South Beach Diet and applied the principles to my eating habits. I’m not very strict, but just reducing my carbs and fats while increasing my fiber intake has paid off so far.

Still, I wish I knew about Diet Television back then. I think this is brilliant. Cumulative referrals like this can be powerful.

Ironically, the South Beach Diet came in rather low when I dialed in my preferences. But offline word-of-mouth beat technology to the punch this time.

Are Politicians People Too? (Monday morning Quarterback warning)

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The race for Lieutenant Governor in Oklahoma was an interesting race. It was especially interesting for me because the Republican candidate Todd Hiett hails from my original hometown of Kellyville, OK. Todd is a little bit older than me, but in a town that size (population of about 1,000) you can’t help but know everyone else. So I knew him as I grew up.

Todd had some very well produced commercials. Resonating voice overs, saturated and soft film clips, sharp graphics, and a carefully chosen catch phrase (Steps to the future).

So, why did he lose the race?

I could delve into his political platform or how the issues were framed. But honestly, I don’t think that is where the race was lost.

I believe the race was lost at the same moment Todd lost his humanity. Through these professional ads, he (or more likely his campaign advisors) traded his humanity in for celebrity status. Meanwhile his opponent came off as the aunt who always brings your favorite cookies to Thanksgiving dinner. Approachable.

Like I said, I know where Todd comes from. Kellyville is a small town. Very quaint. The people there are proud to have the House Majority Leader as a citizen. They’d be even prouder of a Lieutenant Governor. Yet, we never saw the pride on their faces. We never heard the story of a small town boy making a difference in his great state (ala Clinton from Hope, Arkansas).

Instead, we heard about tax cuts. We were told marriage is a union between a man and a woman. We were reminded how he helped balance the budget.

As this race drew to a close with Hiett lagging behind Askins, I couldn’t help but think about a Rick Warren quote referenced by Bert Decker (via John Moore of Brand Autopsy).

Celebrities vs. Heroes – Rick said we need fewer celebrities and more heroes. Celebrities sacrifice to gain success for themselves. Heroes sacrifice for others.

I would go further and say we need fallible heroes. We need more Peter Parkers (Spiderman) and fewer Clark Kents (Superman). As the Wizard of Ads Roy Williams puts it (hat tip: Bill Kinnon):

Baby Boomers were idealists who worshipped heroes, perfect icons of beauty and success. Today these icons are seen as phony, posed and laughable. Our cool as ice, suave lady’s man James Bond has become the comic poser Austin Powers or the tragically flawed and vulnerable Jason Bourne of The Bourne Identity. That’s the essence of the new worldview; the rejection of delusion, a quiet demand for gritty truth. We’re seeing it reflected in our movies, our television shows and our music.

Once again, it comes back to the people brand. I think this will continue to frame politicians, businesses, churches, and causes. What is your ‘people brand’? Celebrity or hero?