Why Do So Many Companies Advertise Their 'What' Instead of 'Why'?
The short answer is, it’s easier.
As readers of our past blogs know, a WHAT is rational. It is, quite literally, the thing your business is selling: a product or a service.
Companies are almost always proud of their WHAT. And why shouldn’t they be? They’re selling it and people are buying it. It’s put a roof over their head and money in their pocket.
No one in upper management ever argues with a CMO who wants to advertise their WHAT. So it’s never a political landmine. It’s never wrong.
But is it right? And, by right, I mean something that would interest their customers, not just their staff.
It’s not easy. Attention spans are getting shorter. In 2000, the average attention span was 12 seconds. Now, it’s 8 seconds. That’s shorter than the attention span of a goldfish. (Which, I’m told, is 9 seconds.)
The only way to lengthen that attention span is by interesting their potential customers. By telling them why they should care. It should be insightful, emotional and, above all, true.
If you identify the right WHY, it will be interesting to them. It will be something worth paying attention to. And if they’re paying attention, you’re 90% of the way to motivating them to make that purchase.
So how do you pick the right Reason Why?
Do you slap together some focus groups at the local mall? Ask your board of directors? Or do you rely on some mix of research, experience and imagination to get you there?
You don’t need the attention span of a goldfish to figure this one out. It’s the latter. Because that Venn diagram of research, experience and imagination is where true insight happens.
In the end, a good reason why is part benefit and part hyperbole.
Harley-Davidson doesn’t sell motorcycles. It sells rebellion. The New York Timesdoesn’t sell newspapers. It sells the truth. And, if we can include ourselves for a moment, The Gate doesn’t sell ads. We sell answers.
Said differently, our reason why is the ability to discover and articulate your reason why.
The Gate | New York is a full-service advertising agency known for making considered purchases worth considering. Our panel of consumer, cultural and category experts helps us identify your “Why”: why customers should choose your product or service over someone else’s. This expertise has led to successful communication programs for clients in finance, consumer goods, luxury, insurance, mining, energy and more.
