CONTEXT MATTERS
“Nearly all economic growth is attributable to ideas.” -Paul Romer, American Economist
Take a common word. It has one meaning to an engineer on a train. It means something different to a sailor. You use one occasionally in billiards. James Brown, the hardest-working man in show biz was famous for them. You have one on your nose and if you don’t brush your teeth, your dentist will give you one.
We generally think of the word bridge as a structure that spans and provides passage over a river, chasm, road or the like. But if I’m hanging out with a bunch of sailors and I say, “See you on the bridge,” they’ll take away a meaning that I might not mean. In the context of their experience, it’s most common use is a piece of the ship, not a span over something. Same thing when you hang out with a bunch of jazz musicians. If I’m holding a trumpet and I tell them I’m going to take it to the bridge, well you get the idea. It’s about Context. Contextual Connections are created when you use the right formula of cultural, generational and behavioral factors.
Richard Edelmen recently noticed a trend toward merging brand marketing and corporate reputation. He’s coined a term: The Trust Triangle. He states that it’s made up of WHAT (what you do), HOW (transparency on process, ingredients) and WHERE (where you communicate). He’s 2/3rds right. Looking to marketing trends that will unfold in the next 5-15 years, the “WHY” will matter most to the consumer.
The WHERE will most certainly be everywhere before too long, so it becomes a bit of a non-factor. The “WHAT” and the “HOW” are important factors. I’m not suggesting that the stool stand on just one leg. It is by the overwhelming amount of choice the consumer has, and the cultural and generational shifts ahead of us, that ‘why’ becomes critical. Marketing will be about the “feeling.” The consumer’s decision to give you 12 more seconds is driven by that complex formula of cultural and generational factors.
For instance: All things being equal, if the consumer has to choose between a company who’s why is to make money and a company who’s why is to make money AND give a pair of shoes to the needy for every shoe they sell. THAT pair of new shoes feels better than just a pair of new shoes. It’s “performance with purpose.”
By understanding why an organization is aligned in the way it is, what its motives and aspirations are, the consumer will be more likely to contextually connect with a company. This why also helps align company personnel and activities towards an always-overarching purpose outside of the generic ‘to make money.’
David Ogilvy used to talk about Salesmanship. In his day, packaging and availability played a role but advertising was largely responsible for salesmanship.
In the last 10-15 years though, that is no longer true. Advertising has become about salability. It is one or more steps removed from the purchase decision. Purchase decisions are real-time because the media landscape is contextual. (think services purchased and delivered online) It’s about behavioral economics.
Today’s Advertising can be thought of as a 2-part process. Salability and salesmanship
- Imbue the product or service with salability. By using the above triangle of trust and focusing on the why, advertising can instill desire. It is still the best tool for the job.
- The second part of advertising’s job is salesmanship. That means understanding the behavioral context within which decisions are made and build a construct of preference. Call it a relationship. This too is informed by the above triangle of trust. It’s creating familiarity and relevance for the consumer. Think about it in terms of an online purchase. If I can, as a matter of understanding the nuances of human behavior, change a purchase from 3 clicks to 2 clicks then I can draw a direct correlation to the 40% increase in sales.
