July 2010 Archives

     Obscene? Me!? You want my company to be obscene?
 
     Well...yes.
 
     Let's look at the etymology of the word.

     Obscene comes from two Greek works: "ob" meaning "from"; and "skene" meaning "tent or covered place" -- in this case, stage.  Greek theater--the Hollywood of 2,500 years ago--was intense, powerful and bloody, involving battles, murders and infidelity. Sound familiar?
 
     Unlike Hollywood however, the Greeks kept their most horrific moments away from the eyes of the audience, placing them off stage, therefore making those sections ob-scene.
 
     Why? Because they knew that the imagination of the audience was far more powerful than anything they could create live.
 
     In the famous Greek play "Medea", the title character murders her own children to take revenge on her husband. The Greeks staged this murder to be obscene: Medea exits the stage to murder her kids. You heard blood-curdling screams. You saw blood spray onto the stage.  But the rest was left to your imagination.  And there it lived as a gruesome, unsettling nightmare.

     One of the most brilliant examples an obscene marketing approach is the trailer for Andy Nyman's and Jeremy Dyson's unbelievably cool play, "Ghost Stories" which opened this month to rave reviews at the Duke of York's theater in London. Here's a photo of Andy in front of the theater.

      If you watch the Ghost Stories 1:33 trailer (see link below), you'll experience the technique of obscenity in full force. In spite of pressure from some news organizations to release footage of the show, Andy and Jeremy held firm. And what a smart move. The audience going into "Ghost Stories" is vibrating with excitement, anticipation and terror. Before the show even begins people are twittering--literally (with tweets) and physically (with terror).
 
     What's more, "Ghost Stories" delivers big time on its promise. It is a truly terrifying experience--no doubt, the most scared I have ever been in a live theater show. Ever. Period. Bar none.

     So, how does this apply to you?

     While "Ghost Stories" keeps the entire "product" hidden, you can practice being obscene with just one component of what you offer. Here's what you do:

1) Think of one cool feature, benefit, service component, experience or bonus item you can offer your customers/clients

2) Then, get past customers to offer testimonials, talking about that element in such a way that doesn't reveal what it is but entices your prospects, making people so curious they have to come check it out.

 

 

     Great business experiences (and reputations) are the result of many factors, one of which is doing more than expected.

 

     This month I visited La Fenice -- the famous theater in Venice which burned to the ground twice over the past two centuries (once in 1836 and again in 1996). Both times, it was rebuilt.

 

     The extraordinary thing about La Fenice is that on the outside, it is simple: a basic white stone facade with nothing particularly special except for a few columns and flags.

    

     So here's my question for you.

 

     How can you create your own "Fenice Experience" so that clients and customers say to others, "Boy, you really have to check this out."

 

     It's imperative not to let your advertising supersede the experience. How can you not only deliver on your brand promise, but go beyond?

 

     One simple technique for doing this is to not "tell all" in your promotion, and instead, leave some surprises.

 

     In the same way that high end restaurants bring a plate of tiny cookies with your coffee even if you don't order dessert, how can you create (even in the smallest of ways) a "surprise" experience for your customers and clients, one that is positive, one that delights, one that delivers more than expected?

 

     Maybe it's an extra few moments of your time beyond those that are billed, maybe it's a small gift, perhaps it's a baker's dozen or a special event to which they're invited once they join in your community.

 

     Whatever it is, make it unexpected.  

 

     Keep it hidden from all the features and benefits of your advertising.

 

     In other words, keep a bit of La Fenice's facade to mask the delight that lies beyond.

(c) Victoria Labalme Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Many of you have heard me speak about Velcro Communication™, the concept being that the more hooks and loops you have in common with another person, the stronger the bond.

What's a hook or loop?  Anything outside the business domain that might be of mutual interest to a colleague, prospect, client, or customer such as a hobby, passion, family element or life experience. 

Even when the actual items don't align identically, the fact that you are open to sharing a particular hook or loop leads to greater trust -- provided you aren't waxing poetic about something that is of ZERO interest to the other party.

Recently, my colleague Ford Saeks as telling me about a Facebook post he made in which he included a photo from his bike computer.