All of us in business spend a lot of time analyzing. Whether it is determining budgets, tracking market trends, or reviewing earnings and expenses—analysis is a fundamental part of business.
But there is another less regarded aspect of human reason that becomes equally important when we turn to marketing our business. It is called synthesis, and it is the exact opposite process from analysis. Instead of breaking down the complex into individual parts so we can examine them, synthesis combines assorted parts into a new integral whole. Synthesis gives meaning to data.
This process is used whenever we communicate—reinterpreting the complex through simple representation. Like a map represents a city by excluding unnecessary information, so good communication is more effective when one knows what to say and what to leave out. The ability to summarize the complex often takes a creative approach.
OUR CURRENT BIAS
Since the 17th century, many fields have tried to mimic the ability of Newtonian science to predict results. In their book The Soul of Science, Nancy R. Pearcey and Charles B. Thaxton write:
“The ‘Newtonian’ worldview eventually became the paradigm for all human knowledge. Practitioners of political theory, ethics, psychology and theology sought to restructure their disciplines in accord with mathematical physics in order to render them truly ‘scientific’.”1
The authors could have included those in marketing.
Many agencies nowadays have taken to explaining what they do as being solely based upon the analytical process. The unfortunate consequence of mimicking a science based on cause and effect, however, is that it tends to overlook the very things which makes us human. Not only will this dehumanize one’s view of one’s audience but it will cause one to promise and expect predictability in their results. Communication is part of a relational dynamic and, therefore, must seek to instill trust and confidence in others, not just get others to do what one wants.
Considering that we all have inherited this tendency to mimic Newton, it could benefit you to take a moment to evaluate your organization’s recent attempts to communicate to its audience. Is there a need to “re-humanize” the message? Instead of focusing solely on analysis — describing the details of what your business does — see if you can also incorporate synthesis by creating a coherent and appealing message for the people you are trying to reach.
IMPROVING YOUR COMMUNICATION
Just like courting, marketing is fundamentally a relationship between persons. Here are some suggestions to put the romance back in your marketing.
1. Know your audience
If you don’t know the demographics of your audience then you need to find out. Outside help can assist you in getting fresh insights into your company and your audience. These companies may seem expensive (from $3,000 to $30,0000 or more) but they can do what those within the organization may not have time or ability to do, which includes conducting internal and client interviews, making assessment of the competitive market, and formulating objectives for branding and marketing. Whether you use outside help or do it yourself, the bottom line is that you need to find out how you are perceived.
2. Speak to their need
Once you have a clear idea about your audience begin to prioritize what information about your company is important to them. Try to customize your marketing strategy and your message to speak to your audience’s values, desires and needs.
3. Make clear your intentions
If your company has been communicating the wrong thing to the wrong people you need to retarget your marketing message. These changes shouldn’t be done in secret. It requires a rebranding of yourself. Get as much attention from the target audience as you can.
4. Speak the same language
Your primary audience doesn’t necessarily speak the slang and understands the acronyms of your field, but even if they do your language should do more than present concise information for comparison. People bring to their work all the normal human emotions of passion, fear, humor and frustration. Speak to win their trust.
5. Put yourself in your clients’ shoes
Imagine your audience as busy and as time-conscious as you are. Think of things you appreciate when someone gives you something to read. We all like things to be concise, direct, and informative but also with the aesthetic qualities which make it engaging, stimulating, or humorous.
6. Simplify your message
Sometimes the information you need to present can be greatly simplified by using visual or verbal pictures. Verbal pictures include metaphors, stories and testimonials. Visual picture includes your mark or logo (the symbolic representation of who you are) and also pictures and graphs to represent important data.
7. Get professional help
Creative professionals can give your brand a more personable feel. Copy writers and graphic designers use creativity not just for aesthetic appeal but to “package” your message in a way that can get attention and be easier to understand.
At Design Corps we are all about synthesizing information to make it understandable to your audience. Our motto is “turning information into communication”. We enjoy helping our clients represent their complex organizations in simple effective ways that the audience can quickly comprehend. We also work with several strategic partners that offer detailed analysis of businesses and their markets. Contact us for more information.
1 Nancy R. Pearcey and Charles B. Thaxton, The Soul of Science, (Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, 1994), pp. 93-94
No comments:
Post a Comment