About eight months ago I told a client their advertising was vanilla. I also said their organic social was pointless from a sales perspective. The budget I was pitching for was allocated to organic social so this was a radical approach. They didn’t call back.
2020 was a challenging year for a freelance consultant and telling the truth can affect your bank balance but it is why we are hired. If we shy away from hard truths you will deliver exactly what the client wants, not what they need.
A few years ago I told a client the well researched target audience they gave us was too posh, too niche and would lead to a ‘Harrogate ghetto’. The board I presented to were all posh and lived in Harrogate so again, a rather risky approach. However, they listened and I helped that brand reposition, go on TV and (eventually) become one of the largest brands in their category.
So honesty can be rewarding and if delivered positively can win you business.
Starting with an uncomfortable, challenging truth at the beginning of a pitch or presentation is not a new idea, but when was the last time you did it? I mean the kind of truth that leaves your audience clutching at their pearls, looking at you with genuine worry and hoping it will stop. Now I work for myself I do this more often (because it’s effective) but it’s a form of conflict and most of us are conflict averse.
This last year I have survived by delivering a vision, mission and values for a retailer, tone of voice projects and campaign work for eCommerce and other brands. All of these are about finding the existing truth within a company (Vision, Mission) or a truth that already exists in the consumers head (campaign). This is not easy but it the first step towards distinctive communication.
An example is this excellent campaign from FRAM oil filters. Following category norms would lead you to rational product benefits and a 3D fly through of an engine. The truth in the consumers head is they don’t care about oil filter performance and simply want a brand they can remember to take the problem away. I love this ad WAY too much and use it all the time to encourage client bravery.
If you don’t find a truth then you will produce communication that fits within category norms. The client will be risk averse and before long you will deliver a well crafted slice of beige. I am showing TV ads but it can be anything from a brochure to a social post. You can see what category norms look like in the tide ad below.
The original vanilla client? Last week they called me back and we’ve just started a tone of voice and campaign project. It seems they can handle the truth, let’s hope I can too…
