Comments on: Can Imperfection Sell?

By: JGoldsborough

JGoldsborough — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:36:23 +0000

Very thought-provoking, Danielle. I think Jeff is on to something. Ads can be a conversation starter, but research shows we trust the “hearing about how well a cleaning product worked from a real mother of five” more when making the actual purchase. And we get that perspective often times from social media.

My question for you, and for companies, is this: If people seem to be turning to social media before making an actual puchase and if there is so much uncertainty about what direction is best for advertisers to take today (as you highlighted well in your post), should organizations really be spending hundreds of thousands — or even millions in some cases — on TV commercials? Would that money be better invested elsehwhere?

@JGoldsborough

By: jeffespo

jeffespo — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:17:47 +0000

Daniel this is a great post and also think that Sherri makes some great points. I would also wonder whether the human nature of social media has made it easier for imperfection being a sales tool.

By: TJ Dietderich

TJ Dietderich — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:55:54 +0000

I might be going a little off on a tangent here, but there is a literary device that I think accomplishes what you're talking about here rather well. Do you remember Antony's speech from Julius Caesar? “I am here to bury Caesar, not to praise him,” yadda yadda, and then he DOES end the speech by praising him and giving everyone the moxie and gumption to punish the murderers? It sounds silly, but the bait-and-switch is really efficient in terms of capturing attention, then turning that attention to the other side of the dichotomy.

When ads point out their products flaws or downsides or something less-than-ideal, they open the door for the other, more positive aspects of their products to make a better impression in the minds of the audience.

By: DanielleCyr

DanielleCyr — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:19:51 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Sherri. I think companies would find their customers less dissatisfied if they didn't sell an unattainable ideal. People's trust in organizations is low these days and companies need to accept that and respond in a way that is authentic and helps them to regain their audience's trust. Perhaps one way is to sell mild imperfection.

By: missmotorcade

missmotorcade — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:48:16 +0000

Great post, Danielle. I do think society is ready – in small doses – to part with the ideal. Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, which features “real” (read: not model skinny) women in their skivvies enjoying life and just being happy (of course because they use Dove…) is a great example of a recent, successful campaign that used this tactic. And prescription drug commercials have been doing this for a while (otherwise they have to disclose that the people in the commercial are actors and not actual users of the drug – which, I guess, in the world of Rx drugs, isn't too convincing).

I think you're onto something – maybe our society is ready for authenticity. It's nice to relate to the people in the ads, especially during a time when so many Americans are making serious changes in their lives as a result of the current economic situation. This could be a pivotal moment for ads with the flavor you describe – and a huge opportunity the brands that realize this to gain huge share and momentum. I love this idea.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:25:02 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by BlogManana: Via #prbc Can Imperfection Sell? http://bit.ly/9MsU6e...

By: Can Imperfection Sell? :PRBreakfastClub « Autions

Can Imperfection Sell? :PRBreakfastClub « Autions — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:56:30 +0000

[...] Today found this great post, here is a quick excerpt : When I analyze advertisements, I give far less consideration to the product itself than I do to the lifestyle or ideal that it is selling. Take one of the recent Windex television spots, for example. Sure, the clean windows are nice, … Read the rest of this great post Here [...]