In the April issue of Fast Company magazine, brothers Dan and Chip Heath (authors of the book, Made to Stick) use the example of personals ads to point out how boring a lot of marketing messages are. One example: an ad that had the headline, “Hey.” (Not even, “Hey!!”). They said at least two-thirds of the headlines were boring. Why do these headlines suck so much, they ask, and give the answer:
“Fear. Fear of saying too much. Fear of saying something clever that someone might think is stupid. Fear of saying something revealing that might turn someone off. …The headlines try desperately not to exclude anyone. In doing so, they succeed at boring everyone.”
They say the same problem afflicts a lot of ailing brands, like the Gap and Ford. I think there’s a message in there for us writers, too. Today’s marketplace is tough. Our only hope is to stand out. That will turn some people off. And that’s OK, as long as we find the ones it turns on.
(I have a half-day workshop on this topic coming up in London on Saturday, May 5—it’s about how writers can create their own brand and succeed in today’s tough marketplace, and it costs only £29, including a copy of my book—if you want to register or get more information, please email [email protected].)
