Corrections or additions?
This excerpt from Philip R. Nulman’s book, “Start
Up Marketing: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Advertising, Marketing and
Promoting Your Business,” was printed in U.S. 1 Newspaper on
August 12, 1998. The book is published by Career Press ($16.99, 287
pages). Call 201-848-0310.
How to Make Cliches Count
Everyone remembers what Dirty Harry says. When Dirty
Harry said, “Go ahead, make my day,” an entire nation (make
that world) remembered that phrase. I’ve heard it thousands of times,
from people in the media to people in the street. It really wasn’t
what he said, it was how he said it. Effective communication is broken
down in the following manner:
Words: 7 percent.
Tone: 38 percent.
Nonverbal: 55 percent.
Look, attitude, and language greatly enhance the communicationprocess. If a speaker were to deliver a speech without coming outfrom behind the podium, without the proper voice inflection, withoutthe appropriate gestures, it would be just a speech. But if the samewords are spoken by someone who exudes energy, enthusiasm, vigor andvitality, someone who looks the audience in the eyes and has posture,performance skills and an attitude, the same speech can be absolutelyelectrifying.Words and pictures comprise most of creative marketing. Sometimeswe use one to the exclusion of the other, but mostly we use themtogether.Remember, even if we’re marketing in print without the use ofaccompanyinggraphics, or on radio or with audiocassettes, and we’re creatingvisualimagery. Language, when used effectively, is, by its very nature,visual.Let’s say you’re running a sale ad for the installation of gasbarbecuegrills. Your competition begins each spring with ads that tout”CelebrateSpring With Savings, “Spring Into Value & Economy,” that, byvirtueof overuse, have no meaning. How can you communicate these ideas andstill be heard? By forgetting the standard nomenclature andconcentratinginstead on creating statements that are attention-getting andproprietaryto your selling proposition. For example: “Our competitors chargeyou an arm and a leg. We stop at the wrist!”You can still introduce the specifics of the sale, tying in the themewith accompanying words and perhaps a graphic statement such as awrist turning a wrench! You’ve just conveyed the exact same messageas your competitor — sale, value, economy, percentage off –but you’ve done so in a way that has said it without the use ofoverusedwords, words that ultimately no longer have value themselves. Thisis creative communication because it uses an alternate means of sayingthe same thing. Cliches become cliches because they’re said time andtime again without being enhanced. When they build upon the acceptanceof a phrase or statement already in peoples’ collective consciousness,cliches and double entendres have a valid place in marketingcommunications.When I was looking for a direct-mail approach to solicit liquoradvertisersfor a major magazine, I wrote a headline that simply stated:”Guesswho’s pouring into our publication?”Then I listed the major brands that were already signed up asadvertisers.I got prospective advertisers’ attention immediately by creating adouble entendre and relying upon language that had already saturatedour thinking. But I used the language in an enhanced way that wouldmake people take notice of something they were accustomed to hearingbut not with this particular message.American humorist Garrison Keillor once said,”Sometimesyou have to look reality in the eye and deny it.” It’s a goodthought. And it often relates particularly well to creative marketing.When you look at your business, recognize that there are two waysof seeing it. First, by viewing it as it really is and what itrepresents:income, opportunity, and hopefully, enjoyment. Next, view it as acaricature with exaggerated features and a funny voice. Stretch thebusiness. Reshape it. Enjoy denying the realities. See thepossibilitiesof expanding the way you think about your business.Recently, I was asked to consult on a mailing program for the AmericanSugar Growers. The purpose of the direct marketing effort was toconvincecorn growers to form an alliance with the sugar growers anddemonstrateto the corn growers that they were facing a 25-cent reduction perbushel in revenues because of foreign subsidies supported by certainpowerful leaders in Congress. It was our job to alert the corn growers(some of whom were unaware of the subsidies or the amount of theirproduct that was used for sweetening soft drinks) that they facedsuch an economic downturn. The idea of using a well-known cliche –a line from a children’s song — came about because it perfectlyfit our cause. The headline of the mailing piece was simply:”Guesswho doesn’t love you a bushel and a peck?”When you flipped the cover, the advocates of the subsidy appeared.The basic message of the copy was: Even though you may believe thatthese are your heroes, they’re in favor of reducing your revenue by25 cents per bushel of corn. On the accompanying panel was a chickenscratching at feed, which happened to be corn. The headline: Whenthey’re done all you’ll be left with is chicken feed. The use ofclichescreated compelling messages, reissuing these phrases as purposefulselling statements. In this case, we were selling a propositiondesignedto create action; we wanted the corn growers to recognize the threat,read the information and respond. The concept and the copy clicked.The message was easy to understand and relate to, and they couldignoreit because it was interesting, provocative and entertaining. Whenwe give our audience a reason to applaud, when we offer them anopportunityto respond because we’ve presented our case in a novel fashion, wesucceed.Previous StoryNext StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
