effective advertising (communication)

Well.pcmatic bad communication

I am always interested in reviewing all the different published methods and theories with regard to how to develop effective communications.

It seems experts <and non experts> constantly analyze the topic and issue laundry lists of ‘to dos’ and ‘how tos’ and so many different thoughts and ideas your head begins to spin.

 

Oh.

Let me stop a minute.

Developing effective communications.

 

That sounds like such a cold analytical view on communicating.

Well.

It isn’t cold.

On the other hand … it may be calculating <albeit I could probably find a better more positive word>.

 

But here is something to ponder with the calculating thought in mind.

Off the cuff communication … at best … is simply a starting point. If you get lucky and you are good at communicating you may get close to what you really wanted to communicate let alone the best <most effective> way to communicate it. The key point here? You MAY get close. Off the cuff is a starting point whether you are good or bad at communicating.

 

And this is true professional and personally.

 

If you think about what you want to say beforehand <that is the calculating part> and actually apply some methodology to what you want to communicate beforehand <by the way … we all do this … some of us subconsciously and some of us consciously … and some of us subconsciously consciously – this is people like me who have been trained and studied how to effectively communicate so much so that I don’t think about it I just do it> you are more likely to not just be lucky but actually communicate what you want to communicate effectively.

 

Sorry.

That’s kind of a given <not sure it’s a Life truth>.

 

This means that no matter what anyone may suggest about saying what’s on your mind … the first thing that comes to your mind … it may be starkly … well … stark.

overcommunication too many wordsAnd not stark in a better way. It’s stripped of effectiveness <in its supposed efficiency>.

 

Suffice it to say …thinking before you speak <communicate> is always better than speaking without thinking.

Now.

I began this post suggesting a boatload of people are overthinking <in bad ways> effective communication methodology.

You can overthink.

You can poorly think.

But in the end it is too much thinking … and I get frustrated with all the ‘how to’s’ because effective communication is relatively simple if you spend a moment or two on the basics.

 

Please note that when I discuss all this effective communication gobbledygook … or effective advertising … it spans both professional and personal worlds.

I don’t think that is so hard to grasp because … well … communication is communication.

 

So when we talk about how advertising is so manipulative and formulaic … it is actually indicative of anything we want to communicate in everyday life.

 

Regardless.

Developing effective communications really is not that difficult.

Despite the fact there are gobs of books and a gazillion experts suggesting how to develop effective advertising and communicate effectively … honestly … it is really simple. And in fact the more you overthink and the more you try and ‘persuade’ through some formula … the more insincere and more ineffective it becomes.

 

All that said … having managed a company I had to try and simplify things because the employees’ heads were so screwed up from reading all the how to books.

 

Oh. I imagine there is some irony in the fact that I am now offering a ‘how to’ list of my own but here are the things I would consider the principles of “how to produce effective communications/advertising” … the basics:

 

 

–          Do your homework

Before you begin communicating … you must truly understand the brand, the customer, the competition and the client … or the person.

The more deeply and meaningfully the better.

Well. As deeply and meaningful as possible.

I purposefully say ‘person’ because the moment you forget you are trying to communicate with a person, in business or in Life, is the moment that everything starts going awry.

While ‘homework’ sounds professional … be aware that I almost simply put “just care.” Care about who you are communicating with. If you care even one iota <this means discarding any iota of disdain> it will show.

 

–          Be aspirational but don’t over promisecompromise never settle for

Any advertising must stretch the brand and help to move it upwards.

However.

Blatant over promise leads to disappointment and rejection.

 

In general any communication … while needing to always be pragmatic and centering … should have a tinge of hope. Hope for something better.

I certainly don’t mean false promises nor do I mean any version of over promise … but great communicating always has an aspect of “what could be.”

 

–          Create new paradigms

It’s easy to think and say what everyone else does.

I have always said that every business category seems to invent its own brand of boring. When we speak with our friends and people we know … it is exactly the same.

Don’t recycle the same tired imagery, the same claims and the same old superlatives that everyone else is using.

Create a new paradigm.

I am not suggesting you shouldn’t lean on some acceptable comfortable imagery and words to center people … but create something new in addition if you do.

That’s what makes communication great.

Or makes great communication I should say.

Sometimes communication is about affirmation <using tired old words & imagery> but most people want to be inspired.

Yeah. I will use the Hope word again. Most people want a glimpse of something more than what they know.

What they know comforts.sell hope i can

What they don’t know excites.

That’s the easiest way for me to describe creating a new paradigm.

 

 

–          <this is a professional one … mainly> Use a single strategy for all disciplines

Every single piece of communications — from the biggest TV campaign to the smallest coupon — must emanate from the same strategy, vision or soul.

This law is inviolate. Break the law, go to jail.

I imagine I could suggest this is true in personal Life too.

It is called consistency of character. If you speak from the heart and the soul … which is inevitably a reflection of your character … consistency matters. Why? Well. part of effective communication is being believed <and heard>.

 

Now.

To be clear.

Anything is communications. Anything is advertising.

 

We may not like to hear this but … I mean absolutely anything.

 

A TV commercial or print ad qualifies.

But so does a movie night for employees.

Oh.

So does how you sign your name.

The heading on your outgoing faxes.

A thank-you note to customers.

 

By the way.

This thought suggests that everything you do is some form of communicating who you are and what you stand for.

Oh.

Whether you want it to be, or not.

The way your employee gives directions to your store.

The design of your catalog.

How your shelves are arranged.

Heck.

What you put on your shelves in your home.

 

Hate his thought … but everything you do and say is an advertisement for who you are and what you stand for.

Everything.

<chew on that for a couple of sleepless nights>

 

 

–          Reassess. Reassess. Reassess

This sounds professional … and it is.measurement ruler

Is it working?

Is the advertising doing what we want it to do?

Is any communications doing what we want it to do?

Can it do better? Can we do better?

Whoa.

 

But what about us every day schmoes?

Doesn’t this apply to us to?
You bet.

Far too many times we walk away from a communications moment <a conversation> pleased with ourselves and thinking “well … they are better off knowing that.”

 

Silly silly us.

 

Reassess.

And reassess again.

 

If what we communicated wasn’t applied … it is more likely not a failure of the person who we communicated to … but rather the communicator <oops … that is us>.

 

 

 

–          Be considerate.

How you communicate is almost as important as who you are as a person.

Coincidentally … advertising or what is communicated … is as important as the product.

 

Think about this.

People are overwhelmed, selfish, have what they need, and buy what they want.

By the way … ‘buy’ also means ‘pay attention to.’

Same thing.

 

Here is the good news.

We know what we people like.

People like a good story. People play with stuff that’s fun to play with. They like to be entertained, and surprised. People ignore what they’ve seen before <maddeningly … even if they really haven’t>.

 

Yup.

They ignore it if they think they have.

In a sea of sameness the only thing people notice is the thing that’s different.

Advertising to business is also advertising to people.

 

 

–          Remember that people talk to each other.

This is the corollary to the fact you are communicating with people.i will talk about anything

While it is death to forget when you communicate with a person … it is a sneaky death awaiting later on in that inevitably people talk about your product, you and what you said.

 

You can’t stop it, or control it.

 

If your product is very good, or very bad, they talk a little.

If you are good or very bad they talk a little.

If it’s neither, they don’t talk at all.

 

The only time they talk a lot about anything is when it’s different. Whether it’s different in a good way, or in a bad way, doesn’t affect the amount of conversation.

By the way … people talk about advertising too.

The same rules apply.

And 6degrees of separation? Geez. Least of your worries. Think 22 squared. That’s the amount affected by the pebble you dropped in the pond <assuming the pebble registered>.

Well.

Ponder that before you speak off the cuff again.

 

 

–          People <in general> don’t care about your product or even what you have to say <in Life>.

 

They have their own worries.

They have their own wants.

 

And what they really don’t have is time.

What that really means is that you’re not in charge.

They are.

You can’t force anyone to listen.

 

That’s it. Too long but once I got going I couldn’t stop.

 

But there you go.

I purposefully mixed communicating and advertising.

And I did so because it is an interesting exercise to think about what we do in our everyday lives as ‘advertising’ ourselves.

 

A bad thought?

Heck. I don’t like to think I am advertising ‘Bruce’ in everything that I do and say.

 

On the other and … it certainly gives you a perceptive on a Life in a professional communications role.

 

Oh.speaking what i wanted to say

And maybe it will make you think a little more of the repercussions of things you currently do and say.

 

Maybe not.

But maybe.

 

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Written by Bruce