Client:<\/b> \u201cBut what will \u2018they\u2019 think?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Me:<\/b> \u201cThis isn\u2019t high school!\u00a0 Who cares if \u2018they\u2019 think you\u2019re crazy! All that matters is if they are making your cash register ring.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
When writing ads for clients, I\u2019m often asked to tone down the fascination level. \u00a0 WHY?\u00a0 For fear of what \u201cthey\u201d will think. \u00a0 Despite my best sales pitch on why being fascinating is important, fear keeps some clients inside the box of ordinary, ineffective ads.<\/p>\n
Consider this\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026that many of us grew up in \u2013 a goods and services economy, then we moved to an experience economy, but now we are in a fascination economy.\u00a0 People once bought for utility, then for experience; now if not utterly fascinated, they are utterly bored and disinterested; there\u2019s no in-between; and they are in desperate search to be incessantly fascinated.\u00a0 No sitting on a park bench and waiting to see if someone interesting happens by.\u00a0 No reading through the newspaper to see if you chance upon an article of interest.\u00a0 We will not stand for such.\u00a0 So, if you\u2019re not getting response, maybe you\u2019re just boring.\u201d<\/i> \u2013 taken from FASCINATE<\/i> by Sally Hogshead.<\/p>\n
What type of response is your advertising getting?<\/p>\n
When\u2019s the last time you analyzed your advertising to see if it\u2019s boring?\u00a0 It\u2019s not the way they teach you to analyze your advertising in business school \u2013 trust me.<\/p>\n
Take a minute and think about each of your advertising pieces.\u00a0 Are they boring?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uglymugmarketing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2021-08-04-at-3.16.53-PM-696x284.png\")
The Broca\u2019s Area is a tiny part of your brain that serves as the gatekeeper for keeping boring things out of your memory.\u00a0 Your Broca\u2019s Area only allows unusual, exciting, or otherwise unexpected things to be stored in your brain.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s your duty and obligation as the Chief Marketing Officer to communicate with clients and prospects in ways that make it past the gatekeeper \u2013 the Broca\u2019s Area.<\/p>\n
All marketing involves communication, whether spoken or unspoken.\u00a0 Successful online stores and catalogers are worth studying.\u00a0 The more successful the company, the more fascinating their marketing and advertising is.<\/p>\n
At the J. Peterman Company, they are masters at keeping things fascinating.\u00a0 They are trying to sell a shirt, and yet they start out talking about hot summers in Italy.\u00a0 Are they crazy?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uglymugmarketing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2021-08-04-at-3.16.30-PM-306x389.png\")
<\/p>\n
Nope.\u00a0 They\u2019re telling a story, and brilliantly painting you into the story \u2013 if you\u2019re a guy.\u00a0 After all you want to adhere to the \u201cItalian Gentleman\u2019s code.\u201d\u00a0 I mean, you do want to \u201ckeep your cool when everyone around you is wilting.\u201d \u00a0 \u201cLater, these shirts are at the Venice Film Festival, under a blazer, making deals\u201d and you\u2019re the type of person who could be at the Film Festival making deals, right?<\/p>\n
Another amazing thing about J. Peterman is that even though they print their catalogs in full-color, they don\u2019t use photos of their clothing.\u00a0 Instead they opt for full-color drawings.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Maybe they understand by using a drawing of the shirt, more is left to your imagination.\u00a0 (You can more easily picture yourself in the shirt.)<\/p>\n
Making Rice Fascinating \u2013 Marketing Challenge<\/b><\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter what you sell, I\u2019d be willing to bet it\u2019s more fascinating than rice.\u00a0 That\u2019s right \u2013 I\u2019m talking about the stuff you eat \u2013 rice.<\/p>\n
If you were in charge of marketing rice, how would you do it?\u00a0 What would your ad say?\u00a0 Take a couple of minutes and ponder how you would market your rice.<\/p>\n
STOP READING!<\/b><\/p>\n
Have your ad in mind?\u00a0 Now let\u2019s take a look at how the master marketers at Zingerman\u2019s advertise their rice.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uglymugmarketing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2021-08-04-at-3.16.14-PM-629x389.png\")
<\/p>\n
How\u2019d you do?\u00a0 Was your ad boring compared to the Zingerman\u2019s ad?<\/p>\n
I\u2019d have to assume their ad was successful.\u00a0 At the time I\u2019m writing this, their website shows they\u2019re sold out of this Forbidden Rice.\u00a0 Not sure how many pounds they had, or how much they actually paid per pound, but I\u2019d be willing to bet at their rate of $10.00 per pound, they made quite a nice profit.\u00a0 What do you think?<\/p>\n
Now Take An Adventure!<\/b><\/p>\n
Your comfort zone is boring.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you take an adventure outside your comfort zone?\u00a0 Spend a few minutes writing an ad for your company that pushes you outside \u2013 way outside \u2013 your comfort zone.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to stay there long, if you don\u2019t want to, but you should take an adventure outside.\u00a0 You never know \u2013 you may never come back the same.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be honest with each other\u2026 has your marketing been too boring?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"