Knowing Your Audience is Like being Dealt a Royal Flush
2 August 2012 by Mike
Messaging that resonates with your audience is a foundational element when creating a successful PR or marketing campaign. Even when developing corporate messaging, the idea that your audience identifies with it is vital. That means while it’s nice to have your executive team support the message it’s truly more important to ensure buyers are motivated by your message.
We do this religiously with clients by testing messaging – yes testing – with our clients’ customers, prospects and even buyers who decided to buy from a competitor. Armed with this research you are better able to craft and launch a message that will move the market. To understand more about customer and prospect research in the positioning and messaging process, check out this video by my colleague Sami Jajeh.
On a recent outing to the grocery store I encountered a sample of messaging that made me laugh and feel good. Admittedly, I am not the target buyer of Zurn’s HEU (High-Efficiency Urinal) – yes you read that right. However, I can admire their messaging. Below is a wall plaque extoling the environment virtues of this product. It makes the buyer’s customers, and likely the buyer, feel good about this environmentally-friendly product.
But what really caught my eye was the accompanying tagline and visual treatment. Now it’s too easy to insert a sting of clever comments and double entendres here, but at the end of the day the wordplay and imagery Zurn used quite simply hits the mark.
“Stand Up For the Earth” with gentleman figure (located at the bottom right-hand side).
With a quick Google search I found this was part of a PR effort launched in 2008 by Zurn. I think it was clever, colorful and drove home a message with meaning.
Next time you’re out and about, take some time to admire the customer-centric messaging that your talented communication colleagues are putting out in the market. You never know where you’re going to spot one that hits the mark.
