How would your marketing change if you assumed the audience is smarter than you are?
Think about how smart/skeptical you are about marketing messages.
You see the commercials linking light beer to sex and good times and you laugh.
You see an artist raving about how the work is "the best thing she has ever done" and you think it's all BS.
You quickly look through the smokescreen of ads, social media and PR. You look for the truth. You see the holes in the story. You know when an artist or organization is being honest (maybe optimistic, but still honest) and when it's just spewing nonsense.
If you do that to others, just remember that your audience does that to you.
It's a delicate balance. Generally speaking, people like to buy things. But they don't like to sold. The good news is that almost everyone loves a well told story, but they expect the story to feel true.
You must have the courage to tell the story about your art or your organization. But if you only tell the bright, happy, sunny side of the story then you are assuming that your audience is dumb enough to believe that everything is perfect.
Assume your audience is smart enough to handle the good and the bad. The truth is a powerful marketing message.
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Note: During this week's Paradox Newsletter we will continue to discuss ways of respecting the audience's intelligence. Want in? Click here and pop in your email:
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