Here it is, Super Sunday, and as I've taken to writing my posts on Sunday, and publishing for Monday, I'm, by default, writing on Super Sunday. So it stands to reason that I should write about The Spots. After all, isn't that all anyone in our industry is thinking about today? So much so, that, simply by capitalizing "The Spots," you know the ones I'm talking about?
Can't do it. Gotta write about something else.
Besides, many of The Spots have been leaked already, and Adrants has told us what to think of them, so there. And isn't that the nature of our business? Telling people what to think of this and that, and listening to whomever all the other kids are listening to, so we can form our own opinions that are just exactly like the cool kids' opinions? I mean, there's the old joke: Q: How many Ad Execs does it take to change a light bulb? A: I dunno, what do you think?
We're an industry built on mass, on popularity, pop culture, and, well, reach -- that hopefully turns into positive waves -- not trickles, WAVES, dammit -- of numbers for our clients. We promote what the cool kids think until the masses think the same thing -- which makes it not so cool anymore, perpetuating the cycle, and our own jobs. That's what we do, for cryin' out loud.
Sorry, momentary rant there, no need to dis Adrants, I like what they write. And clearly I like what we do, or I wouldn't have done it for so long. But the rant leads to what I was going to write about, so I'll slide right in.
I'm going to think of this post as a reminder, rather than a primer, because the personalization and individual nature of web experiences is a huge topic that has been written about a LOT by pretty much everyone who writes about marketing and communications on the web. But I do want it to be a reminder, because sometimes, we all need one.
I got a reminder last week, and that's what inspired this. As it is, in fact Super Sunday, a post about how not everyone thinks like we think just sort of fit.
My son has the opportunity of a lifetime this week. He's going to the White House to meet the President. Now, you can have any opinion of the current President you want, but the fact remains, a chance to meet any President in the White House is a cool thing. Exponentially cool if you're 6.
We live in a part of Alexandria where it seems everyone but me does something with, for, or about the government, at a pretty high level. Everyone is seriously connected. These aren't the people you see on TV, but they work closely with and for the people you see on TV. Which means dads and moms in this neighborhood have a lot of juice. Which means, this week, at least, if your kid plays on the Ice Dogs, the hockey team that comes from this neighborhood, your kid gets to go to the White House.
Here's the deal: The Anaheim Mighty Ducks are in town, and they have the Stanley Cup with them, and they have an appointment with the President, and an Ice Dog's mom or dad was able to get the Ice Dogs in on the action. I think that's extraordinarily cool. So does my wife. My Canadian wife. She thinks it's so cool, she didn't even bother to ask me if I wanted to be the parent who accompanies our son (only one can.) She took the slot immediately. Which, I thought, was wonderful. Here's my Canadian wife, who, after five years here, has clearly embraced the U.S. She's, lately, obsessed with presidential politics. (Far more conservative than I ever thought possible, btw.) Constantly taking the kids to places where they (and she) can learn more about the principles of our democracy. So, it's natural that she would (and should) jump at the chance to go to the White House and actually meet the President.
Except, she's not thinking what I'm thinking.
She's thinking about the Stanley Cup.
She wants to touch it.
Ok. I did not see that coming.
But it sure got me thinking about how important it is, especially now, to think about what your audience might be thinking. And to fight the urge to group your audience into one big fat homogeneous group, addressed, simply, as your "audience." And to remember that there's a chunk of that big fat homogeneous group that simply won't, no matter what, think like you. The web has made people who don't think like you (or like the majority, or like what you expect) important, and powerful. You need to take that into consideration.
It used to matter somewhat, but now it matters more. What makes a copywriter in New York laugh won't necessarily make a citrus grower in Florida laugh. Might actually make him mad. That's always been an issue in our business, but now it's a bigger issue, because now, with the web, you're targeting gets way, way tighter. You'll never personally know all the individuals you're creating for, but it sure pays to pay attention to more of them now. And to recognize the ones who aren't thinking like everyone else.
The good news is, on the web you can do that. Pretty easily, it turns out. The bad news, though, is that most of the time, especially during concepting time, you don't think to. Or don't think you need to. But that's a mistake. It can cost you opportunity.
I'm not necessarily one who thinks the niche will replace the mass. But I'm not on the other side of the fence, thinking the mass is all that matters. The niche, now, represents opportunity that couldn't be capitalized on with traditional, more expensive methods. But now those restrictions are largely gone, so it pays to think about how you might play in a world with fewer big chunks, and lots more little ones.
It doesn't matter to me how or why my son gets to go to the White House -- only that he does, in fact, get to. It doesn't matter to my wife how she gets close to the Cup. If you were tasked with targeting both of us, it seems you might, sometimes, have better luck targeting each of us.
Something to think about while the game's on, in-between commercials.
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Advertising Marketing Creative Interactive Online Marketing Design Digital Design Blattner Brunner Ernie Mosteller BB Digital
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