Yuck! I just
saw a TV commercial that was a real stomach turner.
The spot was
for a local physician's varicose vein treatment center and the good
doctor spared the viewer nothing. The commercial featured close-up
shots of the physician, needle in hand, doing unspeakable things to
someone's leg.
What the
doctor didn't understand was that though he was interested
in recording the ghastly procedure, the viewer was simply
repelled.
What he
should have done, of course, is documented fabulous results.
A simple montage of "before" and "after" photographs would have
made the point better without disgusting the viewer.
To generalize: communicating benefits
is more important than explaining
process.
FedEx learned
this many years ago. Their early TV commercials explained how your
package would be sent across the country to Memphis to a central
hub and then dispatched to its final destination. Lots of shots of
planes, sorters, conveyor belts, etc.
FedEx
discovered that documenting the complex process only made viewers
worry that their package wouldn't get there on time. The company
soon dropped the focus on process and hammered home the simple
promise of overnight delivery. Sales soared. What mattered to the
consumer, it turned out, was the end result, not the means by which
the result was achieved.
This is
something that all marketers should keep in mind. If you need to
explain a process, i.e. how your product or service works, put that
content in a brochure. But emails and direct mail letters should
focus on results and benefits that inspire immediate
action.
Keep this in
mind and you won't go wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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