How to Cut Through B2B Clutter
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Mannequin American
How to Cut Through the B2B Clutter
Raise your hand if your company is attempting to differentiate itself and make gains in a crowded market. Lots of hands. Great. After all, what market isn't a crowded mass of hungry competitors these days?
An often neglected tool that many companies can use to break through all the clutter is "wit". But to serve the interests of your marketing program, the "wit", or "humor" must be relevant to your product, your service or your company. Relevant humor is an attention-getter that draws your prospects closer. It's an invitation to laugh, which in a business relationship is surprising in itself.
Six tips for using humor as a B2B communication tool.
- Don't over-analyze a humorous idea. It's funny, or it's not. As Mark Twain said, "Trying to figure out why something is funny is like dissecting a frog. You'll come up with answers, but the frog always dies."
- Don't use humor for its own sake. Make it relevant to your objective.
- Use humor to entertain. People love to be entertained. (What do you do in your free time?)
- When possible be thought-provoking. Let your reader/listener/viewer experience the joy of "getting it." You'll make a friend.
- Do your homework. Humor comes from knowing your audience inside-out.
- The best humor comes from the edge, where there are no rules. But be careful not to step over that "edge" that professional entertainers always talk about.
Finally, a word of caution. Humor can be addictive. Scientists tell us that humor blocks stress hormones, stimulates endorphins or other chemical reactions, and produces euphoric effects akin to mood-altering drugs. Use humor wisely. Do not try it at home. Call a professional. (That would be Brown & Martin, Inc.)
All Employees Are "Challenged" in Some Way
From AdFreak: For an example of "humor" that's used to gain attention and get an important point across, click here to see a surprisingly funny ad by Health & Disability Advocates which urges employers to "Think beyond the label" and hire people with disabilities. The HR manager is portrayed by Alana Wallace, who uses a wheelchair in real life as a result of polio. The rest of the employees are all "challenged" in their own ways: unable to dress properly, operate a copier or speak at a reasonable volume.
If humor can be used effectively and tastefully in an ad about hiring people with disabilities, don't you think it could be used to help gain attention for your company?
Sounds of Ferraris Stir the Soul
Here's something from our friend Mike McCann ... racecar driver and former marketing executive. This European commercial is ostensibly selling Shell gasoline. But the Ferraris used in the video steal the show.
Ferrari pulled several vintage racecars out of storage, flew them around the world, and filmed them running through the streets of Rome, Rio, New York, Hong Kong and Monaco.
The best part is the sound. Even if you're not a gear head, there's something about this video that should stir your soul.
Panasonic Camera Ad
This ad for the Panasonic Lumix camera with "face recognition" caught my eye ... which means it did its job. The copy says, "No use hiding. If it has a face we will find it. Lumix with Face Recognition. Finds and highlights your face in the pictures." Pretty simple. Pretty clever. Pretty effective.
How Much "Wood" Do You Need?
This ad for Viagra seems a little over the top for me. Plus, I think I see part of my family tree in the background!
Colorado Springs Protected from Puppet's Ta Tas
If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I'm a big fan of the Tony-winning musical, Avenue Q. ... the cast of which is primarily puppets. (I dated one of them.)
A billboard company in Colorado Springs has banned an ad for Avenue Q. because it shows puppet cleavage. Are you kidding me?! Other than the obvious idiocy of the decision, I should point out that this poster has been used all over the world to publicize Avenue Q.
But to be fair, the puppet's name is Lucy the Slut ... and she is one. She's a pink Sesame Street-like puppet in a show that addresses issues like sex, drinking, and surfing the Web for porn.
Referring to the poster, an executive for Lamar Advertising said, "If I have to explain it to my four year old or my grandmother, we don't put it up." (He's an idiot on so many levels that I won't even make any snide remarks about that quote.)
Lucy's image has been replaced by photos of other characters from the adult puppet musical, so the morality of the citizens of Colorado has been saved.
Broadway.com contacted Lucy T. Slut about the issue, and she quickly responded by saying: "When my public relations people told me that my cleavage was banned from the bus shelters of Colorado Springs, my first thought was: ‘They could fit my cleavage on a little bus shelter?!' However, given my notoriety, I suppose the men of Colorado Springs might succumb to my charms. My bazooms are widely acknowledged as a threat to the traditional family structure."
To see an interview with Lucy T. Slut, click here. To see one of the songs from the play, "It's Sucks to be Me," click here.
From Jay Johnson
Here's something about a puppet who, in his day, was considered by some to be a bit over the top and at times offensive. Today he resides in the Smithsonian Institute. (Don't tell the citizens of Colorado Springs.) Via Clinton Detweiler's blog, from Jay Johnson: The original Bob, I used for the first couple of years on SOAP, is in the Pop Culture and Television Section of The Smithsonian Institution. He currently resides next to an original Oscar the Grouch, Sid Caesar's hat and Seinfeld's Puffy shirt.
Bob had been on display at Valentine Vox's museum in Vegas for a while. When that closed I started trying to find another home for him. The Washington Museum was immediately interested but needed lots of details and provenance. I was told that I had one of the most complete histories on any item they had ever had submitted. I had actually done a lot of work in that direction for Valentine.
The process started back in 2006 and took about about 9 months. A committee had to agree that the donation met certain standards of what the collection stands for... very formal. I was informed that Bob received a unanimous vote. Finally in May of 2007 I turned him over to a representative during a ceremony at Sardi's in New York City.... in front of the caricature of me and Bob on the wall. (The day before that ceremony I was nominated for the Tony and it was my wedding anniversary... they say good things always come in threes.)
The museum was closed for almost a year while they renovated the building. I think the building reopened the first of 2008 and Bob went on display.
An Olympic Moment
In honor of the Olympics, I thought I'd offer up an example of the grace and artistry of figure skating. Admit it ... this photo provides the most enjoyment you've ever gotten from the sport.
