Monday, April 12, 2010

Beware of Misdirection

Last week we talked briefly about The Shocking Truth About Customers and how they will respond to visual cues more readily--almost instinctively--as opposed to informational cues or text. In that post I encouraged you to use pictures to communicate your message. Well today I want to talk about the correct way to use pictures and the in correct way to use pictures.

The Correct Way
A picture is worth a 1000 words. Everyone knows that pretty well. But selecting the right photo for the job can be tricky. Here are some tips on finding the right image for the job when preparing an ad:
  1. Decide if you are going the literal route or the creative route. For example, lets say you sold ketchup. If you went the literal route, you would use a picture of your bottle and a tomato as the focal point of your ad with copy that might read "Smith's ketchup. Real tomato flavor because it's made from real tomatoes". But if you're selling that same ketchup and wanted to go the creative route you may have a picture of a plate of french fries with copy that might read "Your fries are lonely." and an image of your logo at the bottom of the page. French fries and ketchup are related so its plausible that the audience will follow your line of thinking and appreciate the novelty of the ad.
  2. Determine the message of your ad. Your picture must enhance or contribute to your ad's message. If it is just a needless decoration, select a picture that will pull its own weight. Back to the ketchup. If you wanted to focus on the fact that Smith's ketchup is made from organic tomatoes, showing a smiling dirty farmer doesn't make as much sense as a picture of a beautiful tomato on the vine with a big "organic" sticker on it. Remember, customers may not read your copy, but that visual cue also gets your message across just the same.
  3. Consider change before compromise. If you have a big idea--a really, really big idea-- and are having trouble finding images to get that idea across, you can only do 1 of 2 things. 1) Pay photographers to stage and take the shots you need. 2)Change your idea. Its difficult enough to communicate to your audience as is, don't make things too had for yourself by reaching for an ad image that is impossible. Lets say Smith's ketchup has a new campaign "Fields so green they can be seen from space!". Obviously a picture from space would be expensive (and useless since you couldn't really see the tomato patch) so they should change their ad message. Sticking with the same "big picture feel" they could re-word their copy to say "Tomato Country" hand have several panoramic shots take of their green landscape. Putting the audience in the heart of the green fields will communicate their message of great organic ketchup better than a silly space photo.
The Incorrect Way: Visual Misdirection
We've all seen those Haute Fashion ads where no one really knows what's going on but we all just collectively nod and turn the page. Using Salvador Dali as a creative director might not be a good idea if you intend to market to the average Joe and Josephine. Here are some things to avoid:
  1. Reaching too far. If you decide to take the creative route for your ad message, make sure it still makes sense to the audience. Remember, they don't like to read so if your image will take a lot of copy to explain, you may want to re-think it. See this great example to the right. What does murder have to do with a postage meter machine? I don't know if I want to find out...
  2. Excessive shock factor. Half naked sexy women should be reserved for nightclub ads and adult themed items. A Photoshop composite photo of a nude woman sitting atop a pile of french fries drenched in ketchup doesn't make Smith's ketchup hot or edgy--just weird.
  3. Audience alienation. Pictures are a great way to combat the language barrier--if done correctly. When done incorrectly, a consumer who doesn't speak the native language will look at the ad and get confused (or in some cases offended) and by pass your product all together. The name of the game is wide appeal to your chosen audience. If you sell a general product in the US you have to assume that a decent number of Spanish or Creole speaking people will be viewing your ad. A confusing picture with a caption they can't understand will destroy any kind of sale. Take a look at the tobacco ad to below. This is an example of shock factor and well...a lot of things. But since the copy isn't in English I just don't know what to say about how they meant for this to be interpreted.
    For more reading on ads gone wrong check out: 25+ Ads That Are Just Not Right For Public Eyes

    Tuesday, April 6, 2010

    The Shocking Truth About Customers

    Not too long ago I wrote a post about Giving Your Customers Credit. I went on and on about how flexible they are and how willing they are to patronize your business given the right conditions. And all of that is true. But there is a fact, a single piece of knowledge about customers that you may not know. That is the subject of today's post.

    To put it succinctly: Customers Do Not Read.

    That might be confusing so let me explain with an anecdote. To make extra money, I work as a concessions cashier on the weekend. Its a pretty simple set up. I hand food through a window. On the counter, I arrange the napkin dispenser, drinking straw box and small trash container for the straw paper or other trash items. The trash container is clearly labeled in large letters but can you guess how many people actually put trash in the countertop receptacle? Only about 12%. What do the other 88% do? 75% walk a few steps to the big garbage cans next to the seating area. The other 13% litter. Granted there could be a lot of reasons why these numbers exist--like maybe 13% customers are just slobs--but for the sake of my post they make a great illustrative point.

    Lets say you have a great ad. One like this:
    But nobody gets it. You scratch your head and wonder why customers aren't beating down your door. Its because CUSTOMERS DON'T READ. Taking a closer look at this one pager, you'll notice that there is way too much copy. Today's consumer has an "instant" attitude when it comes to getting information. There are so many outlets vying for your customers attention that you will effectively take yourself out of the running if you make too much of a demand on their time. Going back to the trash can example, its not like I wrote a novel on the side of the container explaining what people should do when faced with a trash-related crisis. It simply said "Trash" but even that was too much copy for 88% of my customers. What's the lesson in all this? Use your words sparingly. You never know what will get across to your customers or if anything will resonate with them at all so don't waste your words and don't waste their time.

    Now you're thinking, "If I can't talk to them, how will I communicate at all?" Easy. Pictures. People respond to visual cues. That's why, 75% of my customers go to the big garbage can. That can doesn't have the word "trash" on the side, but because of what it is, when people see it they automatically link things together in their head. It might go something like this "Hmm, I have trash. Oh look, a trash can. I'm going to throw this trash in the trash can." Lets take another look at an ad.
    As creepy as this little girl is, this image makes a good point. You see the bread. You see the jam. You see the (scarily) hungry look on the girl's face. You get the message--Tasty. You want this because it tastes good. That's why Coke magazine ads and movie theater spots show that sweaty bottle. They don't need 2 paragraphs explaining how awesome they are, they appeal to your impulsive side because they know your brain acts on visual cues a lot faster than informational ones.

    There are a lot of things to take into consideration when planning your ads but the power of visual cues should not be over looked. Because this topic is so important I'll be posting a supplement about misdirection which should be a fun lesson. Hope you'll join me. Same bat time, same bat channel.

    Thursday, April 1, 2010

    A Note About Staff: The Cashier Salesman

    It was time to change my oil again. Not too long ago, I would have pulled into a Super Lube and waited for a little more than half an hour to get my car serviced--but not anymore. I change my own oil now and had to go in for supplies. While standing at the register waiting for my friend to bring over a better oil filter than the brand I usually purchase, the cashier struck up a conversation with me.

    Apparently, not to many young ladies my age are willing to crawl under their car and get dirty just to safe a little extra cash. I thanked him for the compliment, thinking that would be the end of it. Nope. He seamlessly turned the conversation to sales. "You know" he said "If you're changing your oil today why not check the other fluids in your car. We have a special on windshield wiper fluid. Only 4 dollars." I had only intended to purchase what I needed for the oil change and this guy was trying to up sell me on something I didn't even want. I was going to have to turn him down, but before I could even open my mouth to politely refuse he followed up with "Its really high quality, if you haven't replaced your windshield wipers in a while, they probably squeak when they rub across the glass. With this stuff you won't get that noise anymore." Shock! How did he know that I hadn't replaced my wipers in a while? It doesn't matter. I added the Rain-X to my tab. Why? Because he made the purchase relevant to me. Though I was only changing my oil that day, he convinced me that 1) I could kill two birds with one stone and freshen up my windshield fluid while I was at it and 2) That it would solve a problem I was having.

    The cashier salesman is a rare breed. Most of us encounter the type of cashier who gives us a company required greeting and proceeds to scan all our bar codes without making eye contact. When there is a personable body behind the register its disarming. A real person with thoughts and opinions on the products they are selling can do a few different things:
    • Make the rest of the staff seem more knowlageable by extension
    • Open up the customer suggestions
    • Create a better customer experience
    • Promote a better corporate image
    • Increase sales
    Going back to my example. When dealing with an auto parts store, customers expect a certain level of understanding to begin with, but personal use and knowledge of the products makes conversations sound more like testimonials and not sales speeches. When customers open up to suggestions, you are guaranteed a sale. They may not buy the product that day, but you can be sure that if they ever need that item, they will remember what you suggested and come back to you to get it. Everyone loves a good experience when they shop, it encourages word of mouth referrals and sales by extension.

    A Cashier Salesmen does four things well:
    1. Identify
    2. Associate
    3. Suggest
    4. Explain
    Back to my example. The cashier in the store identified me as a novice level do-it-yourselfer. Once he made the association between my car care interest and aptitude, he was able to suggest other things I could do for my car that were just as simple if not easier than an oil change. He also went so far as to explain his suggestion and why it would matter to me.

    Cashier Salesmen are great but hard to come by. If you're a retail business owner, these are the people you can't afford to pass over. Even though I only added $4 bucks to my tab, the interaction with my cashier will be much more valuable to the company in the long run. I continue to buy from them because of all the useful suggestions and advice I receive on how to keep my car healthy--which is very important to me.