The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

A professor friend of mine deemed them, ‘the strawberry generation’ … ripe and full of promise, but easily bruised.

And I get why he said that, because from our perspective – people born in the 70’s and to a lesser degree, 80’s – that’s how it looks.

But here’s the thing, just because that is how it looks to us doesn’t mean it’s right because if you spend time talking to them, you realise they don’t see it as a sense of entitlement … they see it as a sense of ambition and focus.

Yes, some do believe they are smarter, hungrier and in possession of more skills and knowledge than any generation before them [which is, ironically, what every generation believes] but in China, what seems to connect many of them is this unquestionable focus on what they want to achieve [at least in terms of lifestyle] and they’re not going to waste a second longer necessary on getting there.

What we see as impatience, they see as purposeful.

What we see as a lack of loyalty, they see as protecting and progressing their ambitions.

What we see as complaining, they see as a lack of understanding.

Who is right?

Well, actually it’s less that and more a case of neither being wrong … but it’s an important reminder that there is a minimum of 2 sides to every story [emphasis on the word ‘minimum’] and unless you actively seek out the whole story, you’re choice will only ever resonate with 50% of your audience, which is not bad, but not great either.

I can let them off for such a ridiculous statement because after all, English is not the native language.

Sure, you could argue that they could have got a proper translator in, but as I’ve said in the past, China makes more of an effort to welcome foreigners to its country than other countries do to make Chinese visitors welcome in there’s.

But that’s not the point, because as daft as that sign may read, I’ve seen far worse in the West.

From Marks & Spencer’s saying ‘Caution, This Bread And Butter Pudding Will Be Hot After Heating’ to Sears pointing out that hairdryers ‘Should Not Be Used When Sleeping’ … I see ridiculous amounts of superfluous and meaningless notifications being banded about and at least in the case of the China example, they were trying to be of some value to their audience.

Of course the reason behind the examples I’ve given is because lawyers were involved … where treating people as idiots is the best form of defence, which ultimately is the best evidence of what a brand really thinks of their customers irrespective of what their advertising may tell you.

Remember that next time you pick up some Sainsbury’s peanuts and it say’s:

Massive!

I admire the brazenness, mischievousness and brains that goes into it … something that few advertising strategies ever seem to demonstrate – though to be fair, if they do it right – that’s exactly how it should come across.

Anyway, devious strategy is where an idea is developed that gives the audience something they specifically want, but crafted in such a way that it also fulfils your own personal – and totally different – set of goals and agenda.

It’s basically the policy of the Chinese Government, cunning television characters – such as Glen Close in her amazing show, Damages and Kelsey Grammer in the first season of Boss – and, if I was smart enough, me … but only to be used good ways, of course.

Ahem.

Anyway, I saw this picture recently that I thought was the ultimate demonstration of it … which begs the question, if kids can do it – and even Harry Potter can do it – why can’t adland?

If I see another that says something like, “Your _______, Our _______” or Your _______, Your _______, Your _______”, I will scream.

What those sorts of lines are really communicating is, “we will be anything you want us to be because we’re so desperate for your business, we don’t want to risk saying or doing anything you may find unappealing”.

To be honest, it’s the absolute opposite of positioning because anyone who comes into contact with it is left without any distinct impression of who you are, what you do or what you believe.

Of course the reality is they should be able to understand this by the product or service they execute rather than just the advertising they make, but you get the idea.

I’ve always loved positioning that leaves you in no uncertain terms what the brand is or does or believes.

If anything, they either polarise or sacrifice … ensuring they actually mean something to the people they want to engage rather than some bland, boring rubbish that could represent anyone or anything.

And when I say ‘mean something to people they want to engage’, I mean it in terms of more than simply being defined as men or women aged 18-54.

That’s why I always loved the AA stuff at HHCL [To our members, we’re the 4th emergency service] or the one we proposed to Punch Magazine [Keeping libel lawyers in business since 1841] … however I saw one recently that might have become my new favourite:

How good is that!?

Not only does it have the critical elements of being clear and concise … but it’s amusing at the same time.

Genius.

I suppose that’s why I always quite liked seeing how Church’s position themselves – even if it’s only via the sign outside their premises – because they weren’t afraid of having a point of view and weren’t afraid of committing to it through thick and thin.

In this world where brands go on about how important it is to build ‘loyalty’, it’s amazing how many approach this goal with boring people to death rather than doing something that will attract them.

But then when you strip the arrogance of business away, you realise they are frightened little children who are scared and desperate to be liked and don’t want to risk doing anything that could jeopardise that.

Maybe they should watch the movie ‘The Quiet American’ … a movie that was [name drop time] directed by my wife’s uncle … because there’s a great line in it that say’s …

“At some point, you’ve got to decide which side of the fence you’re going to land on”

… though maybe the more appropriate quote is from Malcolm X …

“If you don’t stand for something, they’ll fall for anything”.

While my view of what a brand is may be different to many other peoples, I still believe it’s about having something that has an irrational hold on people’s hearts, minds and habits.

A twitch of the eye.

A minuscule curl of the lip.

A slight change in posture.

It speaks volumes.

In that instant, you know whether you’re in the good books or the bad.

But sometimes it’s not as simple as that.

Words are said.

Comments are made.

And yet you know that what’s being communicated is not actually what they want to communicate … and better yet, you know exactly what’s being said, even though it isn’t being verbalised.

It’s the ability to translate the unspoken words and mannerisms that allows you to be a good husband. Or at least a husband that doesn’t get a swift kick in the balls every night for doing something wrong that they didn’t even know they’d done because women have an ability to remember – and recall – at a whim, every fault you’ve ever made for the last 60 years.

Seriously, marriage is better for keeping your brain on it’s toes than Sudoku.

But I digress.

You see the thing I can’t work out is if husbands know the best way to understand their wife is to see and hear what is trying to be said – even though they’re not saying it – why do so many planners want their audience to literally ‘spoon feed’ them the insights they want to use in their communication.

I’ve met more than a few planners who have a total inability to read subtext … believing that only if someone conveys their feelings and opinions is it a valid feeling or opinion.

Who teaches them that way of thinking?

I can only assume their bosses were robots because few people do that.

Not – as Henry Ford suggested, because they don’t know – but because they either cannot articulate or convey their thoughts/feelings/opinions in a way that is clear and concise or they actually want to hide it for reasons best known to themselves.