A lot of companies do well on telling us as consumers what they do. The problem with what messages is that they are not inspiring. We as human beings we make our purchasing decisions on emotions and the what message doesn’t bring any emotions…

”The real question we should ask ourselves is why” a lot of us know what we do, but very few people know why we do what we do.


Advertising… Do you know why a lot of companies succeed and some not? Think of Apple for example. Companies always try to ‘sell’ us their product or service by showing us different ads with special offers, new features and so on and so forth. This process is called manipulation. Let me just tell you the basic facts: cheaper solutions don’t last over the better long term solution. Manipulation will run out at some point. Money will run out. What you and your business wants is loyalty,but loyalty is very hard to find these days and takes a lot of effort to achieve.

I am not saying that manipulation using special offers and limited price tags don’t cost in themselves, in fact it’s exactly the opposite: manipulation costs much more money in the long run rather than building a solid and loyal client base.

Todd_s_Personal_Values_23

 

Everybody is seeking loyal clients, so why do people do the exact opposite thing in order to get them? Now really think about it: if you ask any brand manager or CEO what they prefer out of a loyal client or just a client, they will reply a ‘a loyal client of course!” At the exact same time however, they could very well be running an online advert with new features that ‘manipulates’ consumers to buy their product or service.

There is a big difference between repeat business and loyalty. Repeat business is when people do business with you multiple times. Loyalty is when people are willing to turn down a better product or a better price to continue doing business with you. Loyal customers often don’t even bother to research the competition or entertain other opinions. Loyalty is not easily won. Repeat business however is easily achievable and all it takes is plenty of manipulation.

Which brings me to this conclusion: never use manipulation in your advertising. Manipulation may bring a quick result, but these results will be short term.

Here is an example of how Apple could be if they were like everyone else:

We make great computers. 

They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.

Wanna buy one?

Here is an actual marketing message that Apple uses:

Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. 

The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. 

And we happen to make great computers. 

Wanna buy one?

 

The messages are completely different in tone. The Apple message seems to actually feel better, more enticing, and we are much more eager to buy a computer from Apple after reading their version. There is no trickery, no manipulation, no free stuff or gimmicks, no aspirational messages, and no celebrities.

Here is another example of an ad: 5GB mp3 player VS ”1,000 songs in your pocket”. You got the point.

The WHATs are important – they provide the tangible proof of the why – but WHY must come first. The WHY provides the context for everything else. As you will see over and over in all the cases and examples in this book, whether in leadership, decision-making or communication, starting with WHY has a profound and long lasting impact on the result. Starting with WHY is what inspires people to act.

The goal is not to do business with everybody, the goal is to do business with people who believe in your why.[Tweet this!]

Business is like dating. Of course there’s nothing wrong with a tiny bit of benign manipulation: a fancy dinner, dropping hints that you can get those concert or sporting tickets or that you at least know someone who can. Depending on how badly you want to close the deal, how huge your desire, you could tell someone anything they want to hear, promise them the world and the odds are in your favor. Once. Maybe twice. With time, however, maintaining that relationship will cost you more and more.  No matter what manipulations you choose, this is never the right way to build a trusting relationship. 

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One last example: whether you own a MacBook or not is irrelevant because some people love Apple products and some people hate them. But everybody knows what Apple stands for. The super-brand has a way about it, it thinks differently and people know it. People are fanatic about Apple not because of Apple, not because of their products (which in some cases are inferior to other likewise products by others) but because people believe about Thinking Different. It’s all about them, not Apple. Apple meets their goals and dreams, so dare to think different!

Return to basics and inspire people.

Here are a few examples of how marketing messages can be more inspiring:

O2 Be More Dog Campaign:

PC World We Start With You:

If you need help on how you can change your brands message please contact me and we will help you.

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