Michele Drohan, EVP, Client Services
Want to spice up your marketing message? Just look to the Bible.
Wait. What? #WhatIsSheTalkingAbout?
I’m talking about the seven deadly sins, friends. Those transgressions which are fatal to spiritual progress. I know. Heavy stuff.
But if you take a few steps back, squint a little bit, turn your head sideways ever so slightly and bring a fresh perspective to this list of egregious defects—one that’s perhaps lighter of heart—you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Rather than considering these behaviors as gateway drugs to immorality, good marketers recognize these natural and common human weaknesses as moments in which our consumers respond to… wait for it… advertising!
Take a look at just a few of these character flaws in a new light, and consider how they might be key to a more provocative marketing message.
PRIDE
Is there anything better than shopping for something you deserve? We’ve seen this work on a grand scale: Like when McDonald’s tells us, “You deserve a break today” or L’Oreal reminds us, “Because you’re worth it.” A merit-based purchase is a feel-good purchase.
ENVY
Keeping up with the Joneses (or should I say the Kardashians?). It’s still a thing. The natural tendency to want what others have; to want something you’ll never have. It can come in almost any size package. It’s visual, emotional, material. With social media, too, we have 24-hour access to what everyone else has. Angelina Jolie’s favorite travel shoes? Gotta have ’em.
GLUTTONY & GREED
Officially, these are separate sins. But let’s face it: from a marketing perspective, this is about more. Bigger is better. More for less. Two for one. Supersize it. If anything is good, more of it is great. You get the idea. This is good, old-fashioned promotion. Marketing 101.
LUST
This one is perhaps the most obvious. Frankly, lust finds its way into most marketing material—through beautiful, sexy models, tempting shots of food or gorgeous environments behind our products. It’s an easy go-to, and it can be tongue-in-cheek or downright provocative. But to be effective, it should be relevant to the product and appropriate to your customer base.
ANGER
Or wrath. Or revenge. Or the every day frustrations of a household mishap (“Don’t get mad, get GLAD!”). The opportunity? For your brand to quell the emotion with the perfect solution—be it product, service or counsel. E-Trade’s cheeky campaign does exactly that: “The dumbest guy in high school just got a boat. Don’t get mad, get E-Trade.”
SLOTH
This one’s tricky. Nobody wants to be lazy, so marketing to the opposite is the key here. Think Nike’s “Just do it.” Or the copy currently on Athleta’s website: “Take risks, be brave, have fun. More new styles for powerful girls.” Incenting drive; the inverse of celebrating sloth. But take care, here. It can go too far. Reebok recently saw a consumer backlash to their ad “Cheat on your girlfriend, not your workout.” Ooph.
But let’s not think too deeply about this. Delving into the darker side of the human condition isn’t my purpose here. Nor is it to prey on the vulnerable. The point is merely this: these are very human traits that provide us opportunity to tweak and tailor our message to make our marketing just a little bit more provocative, and thus a little more powerful.
Need help crafting a message that your audience won’t be able to resist? We’re up for the challenge. Send me an email at micheled@jschmid.com
Tags: advertising, branding, Customer Experience, digital marketing, fresh perspective, marketing, Michele Drohan