March 23, 2012 - AIDA

SELLING TO YOUR AUDIENCE!

Attention

The first step is obviously to grab somebody's attention. It's the moment of "Hey you!"

The best ways to nab attention are to educate and entertain. You have to be outlandish and outrageous, so you'll get noticed, but it's also important to have a product or service worth all that attention.

"Our brand Ski Poles are fire-resistant!"

Interest

This is the "You want!" portion of the portion of the pitch. You talk up the benefits and never disclose the bad news. You create buzz. A good trick is to act like you're revealing a secret to a customer. They'll feel like they can be trusted and everyone likes the feeling of being an insider.

"You look at the camera too much."

Desire

The "We've got!" statement. Now that they're interested, you make the product or service available, thus turning their interest into desire. Maslow is a key figure here. Of course, we all desire safety and comfort, but also intellectual pursuits and the ability to simplify our lives. How will whatever you're selling play-in to all that?

Action

"Buy Now."

Why is the "now" so important? Because it's all about creating scarcity and demand. People are lazy, and if we don't buy or act or order "now," we'll start think more rationally.

And logic is the real death of a salesman.

March 19, 2012 - King Corn

Features: What is it about corn? What is common to all corn? 

-It's a vegetable. It's a starch.

-Most widely grown crop in Americas.

-It's also known as maize.

These are the features. They are basically the Wikipedia page of the product.

Attributes: What is specific about corn?

-color (yellow, white, red)

-price

-container (can, bag, fresh)

-quantity (small, large)

use (popcorn, hominy, on-the-cob, other things)

This is one of the other things.

Benefits: And what are we actually selling?

-free time by quick preparation

-more money in your pocket

-longer life through healthy living

Corn and exercise. That's the secret.

The next step in selling this corn is determining the audience. Let's look at three of them.

College Age (18-28)

-lazy

-poor

-impulse purchases

-high energy

-drunks

-corn is "convenient"

-No cooking ability

"I've never seen half this shit!"

Families (25 - 45)

-a central purchasing authority

-budget w/ splurging opportunities

-needs large quantity of food

-nutritional needs

-corn is "dinner"

Retired Age (55-75)

-money hoarding

-health-conscious

-lives in the past (nostalgia)

-smaller appetites

-Corn is "security"

"I still buy corn that has its husk."

In the next blog post, I will detail just how to market corn to these very different audiences.

March 16, 2012 - Skip Day

Skip Day.

+

Skip Day.

March 14, 2012 - Brand Conscious

No one can escape brands. In my life, at any given time, I'm surrounded by at least 5 different brands. I'm typing on my Toshiba laptop and clicking my Logitech mouse which rests comfortably on a Crystal Classics mousepad. I'm reading from my New Leaf notebook and filling out a New York Times Crossword Calendar with my Uni-ball pen by the light of my Star Wars lamp using a GE lightbulb. I'll probably print my assignment on my HP printer using Xerox paper. . . or maybe I'll just play my Parrot Bay harmonica instead.

All that was stuff that was just sitting on my desk! That's 11 brands surrounding me that I use on a regular basis. But the question is: What do these brands say about me?

The New York Times crossword and Star Wars paraphernalia clearly hint at nerdy interests.

At least I'm not this nerdy.

The New Leaf notebook hints at eco-conscious tendencies (when in reality, it was the only notebook available at the UMKC Bookstore) and Toshiba and HP are both signs of efficient, but economical mid-grade technology purchases. What do all these add up to? My brands clearly identify me as a college student. 

And that's how it always seems to work. People buy brands that are targeted to them, and brands target the audience they want to give their product to. It's a give and take.

Here's another important lesson to think about. When selling a product, you've got to sell not only the benefit, but also the benefitofthechange. The audience will ask themselves: Is this product worth it to me?

And from an advertising perspective, it's important the needs and desires of your audience. Let's look at an example of car purchases.

When talking cars, what is a 8-year-old most interested in?

Fast cars.

As compared to an 18-year-old?

Cheap cars.

Or a 48-year-old?

Fast cars. The circle of life.

The whole idea is to be brand conscious. Be aware of what you are buying and why? It could even tell you a little something about yourself.

Like how this guy must love his Nike shoes.

March 12, 2012 - Sell! Sell! Sell!

We've all the heard the advertising adage, "Sell the benefit, not the product" and that still remains true today.
In the above video, what is the relationship between a drowning man and a rope? Does he care that the rope is "superior quality 1-inch diameter, rot-proof, super-strong, lightweight, pure hemp rope"? Of course not, he wants the benefit. The fact that it will keep him alive.

There are three elements to any product or brand and let me tell you, they are FAB!

Features: common elements among similar items.
Attributes: specific qualities among similar items
Benefits: the only reason people actually buy anything

For an example, let's look at . . . toilet paper!

Paper-like material, assists in wiping/pranking, wrapped around a cardboard tube

This is your basic toilet paper. Now, let's look at specific brands.

This is store brand toilet paper. It's inexpensive and there's a lot of it, so you won't run out.

This is Renova, the most expensive toilet paper. It comes in multiple colors, is three-ply, and made from 100% virgin pulp. The website boasts about its "tiny drops of rich cream that envelop the fibres of this tissue paper, enriching its structure with moisturising compounds." It'd be like wiping your butt with a 5-dollar bill every time you went to the bathroom

But, what is the benefit of both of these? A clean, hygienic feeling on our buttocks. That clean feeling translates into satisfaction, and satisfaction allows us to worry about other things besides our ass. 

So remember, sell the benefit, not the product!

March 9, 2012 - When Good Words Go Bad

Now there is a man that knew how to use words. Somehow, George Carlin has the ability to cut through the bullshit and pick out the soft language. He knows when ads are trying to manipulate him and when the government wants to soften the blow of some words.

Whether people use  words to sell products or sell peace of mind, this act of manipulation can be evil. Let's look at some products I have in my very own home.

What exactly is "New York" cheddar? Does it really taste any different than "Missouri" Cheddar? And underneath it, it says "bold GROWN-UP cheese." This truly means nothing. Should I feel sophisticated when I eat this chip? Should I be happy that I'm not mucking around with "kiddie cheese?" It's almost pathetic the way they try to market to people. And the sad part is, you know it's gotta work some of the time.

First off, this is already some sort of weird mutant food. But then, on the back of the box, it says "There's a place where everyone feels at home. . . A place that feels as warm with a crowd as it does with just a friend." . . . . . . . WTF? . . . Nobody has ever put out Flipsides because they want people to warm and welcome at their home. Great company and conversation has never occurred while stuffing our face with this weird unholy abomination of flavors. And yet suckers (like me, although I did have a coupon) buy them up. It's like we're telling Keebler: "please keep marketing to me, for I am easily manipulated"

"New Shapes" - What a bizarre thing to sell to cat owners? Why would we care what they're shaped like?

"Heavenly Taste" - One thing I've noticed about pet food: It all claims to taste amazing, because what human is going to confirm otherwise.

"Tender Moments"  - Purina wants us to believe that they found the ability to package affection in a resealable pouch. And that tender moments taste like chicken. Who knew?

I'm not sure it's possible to find a brand that doesn't stretch the truth on its label. Will there ever come along a product that just tells it like it is? When will that time be?

Beer speaks for itself.

March 7, 2012 - Abstract and Concrete

Think of a childhood memory. . . any childhood memory. I know you still haven't because you're still reading this. Well, I'm not going to post anything else until you think of one. . .

I regret pasting this. It's super irritating.

Anyway, that childhood memory was undoubtedly full of some sort of emotion. How do I know this? Because emotion heightens our memory and increases our recall ability. Nobody ever remembers that day in their life when nothing happened. We remember days of joy and of sadness and of anger. It's important for others to visualize and remember your writing when there are emotions attached to it.

This leads me to the ideas of "abstract" words and "concrete" words. Abstract words are broad, and they don't recall emotion. Concrete words are more specific. They will set off people's memories.

As you go down the ladder of abstraction, "war" becomes "beaches at Normandy" and "dog" becomes "my neurotic dog, Licorice" The concrete detail at the bottom of the ladder will set off people's memories.

Here's another example.

"Beverage"

"Soft Drink"

"Carbonated Soft Drink"

"Citrus Flavored Carbonated Soft Drink"

"Citrus Flavored Carbonated Soft Drink in a 12 oz can whose tagline told America to 'Feed the Rush'"

"Surge"

So tasty, yet so unhealthy.

Another excellent way for people to visualize your ideas is by following the SAFEST route.

Statistics

People love statistics. If you don't have some, get some. Or just make them up.

Analogies

A great analogy is like . . . something else that's great. And just like all great things, you don't have to be a genius to come up with them. 

Facts

Similar to statistics, a good fact can be backed up with appropriate links and footnotes

Examples

An example is something representative of a greater part. For example, an example of an example would be this example.

Stories

The power of stories has been well documented in this blog.

Testimonials

If you don't know how to say it, get somebody famous to do it.

March 5, 2012 - More on Words

You're probably asking yourself: "But Ross, how can we convince anyone of anything when we only have 8 words to use?"

Even if you didn't ask that, it's still important to know.
If you can make people recall experiences, they add additional words to your words.
By this, I mean that if you use words that draw on people's nostalgia and their five senses, they will add in the persuasive element required.

"Summer"
sound of wind chimes blowing in the breeze
smell of fresh cut grass
feel of sun on your back
sight of children playing hockey in the street
taste of grilled hot dogs

Summer is an abstract word. It's multiple concepts in one, it's very broad, and many people will recall different experiences. However, all of the sense-based example are concrete. They are specific, and they illustrate exact things that people can recall. This is important for making words powerful, active, and persuasive.

Let's look at another example.
"Love" It's an abstract word. But let's look at the first three images for "Love" to see the visual.

Hearts, red, passionate color

Red colors, privacy, embrace between two people, romantic settings

Love is universal, hearts, handwritten notes, obsession, kiss,  sweet, 

Just in these three pictures, Love has been made concrete. Each of these pictures call together thousands of words. It's like I don't even I need 8 additional words, and yet I still get to use those. The power of words is in your hands!

March 2, 2012 - Controlling Language

This will really just be a preview of future blog posts, but there were some minor topics to get me thinking.

We discussed the Wilbur Schramm "Fraction of Selection Formula" which, in essence, says that mankind will exert effort if the end reward isn't worth it.

What this means to writers is that if we write more than 8 words, comprehension noticeably drops off. 

Sentence                                                       Comprehension

See Spot Run                                                           High

See Spot Run for President                                     High

See Spot Run a Marathon                                       High

See Spot Run the Proletariat into the                        ?

ground through a Middle-Class Tax Hike

So if your writing isn't interesting, no one's going to want to read it!

Additionally, we discussed the power of words. If I say "hot dog," many images come to mind, both good and bad. If I say "gas station hot dog," bad images come to mind. "Plump, juicy hot dog" has the opposite effect. The word "Hot dog" is dual-coded. Depending on the word around it, different abstract connotations can be represented.

Delicious!

Disgusting!

There's a huge difference!

Think of other words that can vary in quality. . .

"Cutting" to get out of class

"Cutting" to get in line

Or how about. . .

"I'm ready to go! I have my reservation!

I'm not sure I want to go. I have my reservations. . .

Finally!

I fixed his car for him. The owner seems happy!

I fixed his dog for him! The owner seems upset. . .

Just remember that the way we use words and control language is important to any great story.