PHD Perspectives: Marketing Judo - Ed Castillo - MediaBizBloggers

The Encyclopedia Britannica Online defines advertising as "techniques and practices used to bring products, services, opinions, or causes to public notice for the purpose of persuading the public to respond in a certain way toward what is advertised." This generalization focuses – like many practitioners of the craft – on external factors; consumers presumably buy things because they've been persuaded to by spin-doctors.

The problem with this view is that "to persuade" means "to cause someone to believe something" (which almost always entails making a rational argument).

If you think I'm splitting hairs here, then consider this common approach to communications strategy:

Convince [some target]

That[some brand/product is desirable]

Because [some argument]

I first encountered this approach while working on a now-defunct domestic automotive brand in the early 90's. My issue with it then and now is that as communications professionals we are actually trying to elicit feelings and associations for our brands (which we hope lead to brand affinities)…we certainly aren't trying to argue people into buying our brands.

At least I hope not, as it's pretty clear that brand affinities are irrational relationships we have with (almost always) unnecessary products and services (e.g., I love my Mac for many reasons; none of which are rational or seem justified on reflection).

Why is this worth mentioning? If we focus on what we are actually trying to do with our communications (i.e., create, strengthen or disrupt some set of emotional associations) planning their development becomes so much easier. We do a much better job of identifying success criteria – meaningful success criteria – when we focus on what needs to happen in the "hearts and minds" of our consumers (the motivations that underpin consumer behaviors) instead of focusing on functional benefits.

If we uncover the emotional life of the consumer (what motivates them, inspires them, scares them, etc.) we can allude to some future emotional state that one can expect to enjoy as a result of consuming our products and services.

And here's the best part; all conscious beings bring a full palette of powerful motivations, inspirations and fears with them everywhere they go. These emotional touch-points drive all behaviors and are increasingly implicated in even the most "rational" decision (see the expected utility hypothesis for a striking example of how rational decisions can be mediated by feelings).

In a recent TED Talk, Jonathan Klein of Getty Images recites a classic Ansel Adams quote;

"You don't take a photograph, you make it."

He then offers an adaptation of the quote that is relevant to our jobs as communications professionals;

"It's not the photographer that makes a photograph, it's the viewer." (my emphasis)

The same is true of every single piece of communication we put in front of consumers. These images, words and sounds are meaningful to them only to the extent that they elicit some thought or feeling (some association) that the consumer was disposed to feel in the first place.

Consumer minds, you might say, are rich, complicated networks of associations which we can potentiate to the benefit (or detriment) of our brands.

Judo ("gentle way" in Japanese) is a martial art that entails using one's opponent's own strength against him. I submit that all powerful, meaningful, effective communications do something similar (substituting mental for physical in the case of communications).

Think about it; what could be more meaningful to someone than his or her own thoughts and feelings? When we plan our communications from the inside out (i.e., when we uncover consumer motivations and focus on 'stoking' the relevant feelings/association with our communications) we are far more likely to motivate the transactions that many hope will follow from campaigns that try to "persuade."

Ed Castillo, SVP, Director of Account Planning at PHD Media, a Division of Omnicom. You can follow Ed @xandnotx

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