I Need To Be Pretty

I love the Hunger Games books. My wife got me started on them. And then we had to go see the movie. It was ok, I guess. But as a marketer, I have my antenna up, listening for dialogue that moves me – that holds some voltage. And lo and behold something caught my attention that relates to your marketing message.

Katniss was to fight in the Hunger Games. But she has a stylist, Cinna, to make her look good for the opening ceremonies of the games. She needs to impress the people of The Capitol, so she can gain “sponsors” that could help her during the games. So, here’s the big “marketing nugget” that I have remembered for weeks…

Cinna said something like, “You know what you need to do, right?” And Katniss said, “I need to be pretty.” And Cinna said, “No. (dramatic pause) You need to make an impression.”

That made my eyebrows jump up because that’s exactly what you need to do with your advertising. You might think that having “pretty” ads or “polished and professional” ads is what it takes. But the biggest factor in making your advertising work, is that YOU NEED TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION. Cinna hit the nail on the head.

Cinna didn’t care if the people of The Capitol thought Katniss was pretty. He wanted them to REMEMBER her. He wanted it to be impossible for them not to remember her. Make an impact with your ads. Make an impression. Be remembered as the place to go or the people to call when people need what you offer. That doesn’t happen with unimpressive, traditional, and safe ads.

Katniss was last to be paraded around in front of the Capitol crowd. When she entered the arena for the opening ceremonies…what she was wearing was LIT ON FIRE. You can’t ignore that. You can’t forget that.

Light your ads on fire. You’re paying for them. So, you might as well make an impression with them. Most ads I see or hear are incredibly forgettable. It blows my mind. I think, “Someone PAID for that?”

Your advertising can become multiple times more effective if you’ll just improve the message. What you SAY in your ads can be the difference between a mediocre or failing endeavor…and a highly impactful and impressionable one that makes people REMEMBER you.

“I need to be pretty.”

“No. You need to make an impression.”

Have an impressionable day!

Duane Christensen

Non-Fat Advertising blog