I start this post with a tip of the hat to my favorite political columnist and pundit, David Brooks. He writes for the New York Times, has authored several books, and has a regular commentary spot on the PBS Newshour. His wry humor and out-of-the-box thinking have entertained and educated me for many years.
In a recent interview, he used a line that had real resonance with me. Referring to the effect of political advertising, he stated that people use “an extremely thick filter” when evaluating these ads, and that it takes a lot to make an impact on the audience.
While this is undoubtedly true for people listening to political ads, it is also just as true for people listening to your business advertising. And for the same reasons.
To put it bluntly, people recognize that politicians have a lot at stake during a campaign, and therefore assume that much of the advertising they hear is full of purposeful miss-interpretations, half-truths, or just plain lies. History has proven this to be a pretty safe assumption.
To perhaps a lesser but none-the-less real extent, they feel the same way about business commercials. They have become jaded, sceptical, and extremely cautious about accepting what you say as factual.
You can't just say it, you have to prove it.
In this environment of consumers with “extremely thick filters”, just how much proof do you have to provide? There isn't a simple answer to this question but, in general, the more the better. However, this comes in conflict with another precept of advertising, “Keep it Simple”. There is only so much you can put into a short ad (print, radio, or TV) and the audience will only accept a limited amount of information.
- Sometimes, simply making a statement of fact will appear to the audience as proof: “Our pizza has 20% more toppings than the competition.”
- Additionally, you can make a performance statement and invite your audience to see for themselves: .“Come in, get a quote, and compare our prices to the competition.”
- Even better, if a little more cumbersome, is mentioning a positive statement from a 3rd party: “The Daily Journal rates our service as the best in the region.”
Technically, none of these statements constitute “proof”, but if your target audience believes they are probably true, that will be enough to get past the “thick filter” and get them to respond.
Remember: Don't just say it, find a way to prove it.
For more about David Brooks, click Here.
