Flattery, schmattery

A night in front of network television is all it will take to convince you that there’s a dearth of creativity these days. And, we’re not even talking about the pre-packaged “reality” that passes for entertainment.

No, in this case, it’s the sameness of the advertising. From aggressive pickup trucks climbing mountainous piles of rocks (speaking of reality...), to pain relievers that help us dance once again, to candidates who would rather point fingers than propose solutions in their 30 allotted seconds, it’s getting harder all the time to tell one product from another. And, if that’s the case, what’s the point in advertising?

Colin Bates, the founder of Building Brands Ltd of Hong Kong, blames this phenomenon on what he calls “category cliché,” the preference among advertisers to try and do the same thing as everyone else...just do it better.

In his marketplace, Bates reports that women’s shampoo is a category that suffers mightily from this malady. The typical commercial will have four parts:

1. The “before” shot, where the talent frowns as she inspects her dull hair
2. The “washing” shot, in which the shampoo is shown being worked into the scalp
3. The “ingredients” shot, where animation is used to demonstrate how the product works
4. The “after” shot – also known as “the tosser” – where the woman flips her shiny, silky hair as she walks away from the camera

As Bates observes, when this kind of approach was perfected by Proctor & Gamble, it was ideal because it was distinctive. Now that everyone else is doing it, it’s become a category cliché.

Think that you can’t fall victim to category cliché, because you don’t run spots on “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé wants to marry The Swan?” (Don’t laugh...it’s probably coming) Think again.

Every form of communication can suffer from sameness. It’s easy to get comfortable, and to think you are building on your brand equity when really you are just singing the same song, next verse. Sing long enough, and your target audience will change the station.

Here are a few ideas for spots where category cliché may be creeping up on you.

• Employee awards – If you’re taking the obligatory “sitting at the desk” photo or (gasp) the “grip and grin,” how about asking employees to provide their own snapshots for stories that celebrate their accomplishments? You’ll likely find yourself with shots of people holding fish they’ve landed, grandchildren they love, or some other prized possession, and you’ll create much more interest among your readers.


• Product shots – As attractive as your product might be, how different does it really look from your competition? Probably not much. If that’s the case, then why spend a lot of time with beauty shots and cutaways? Instead, show customers using it or – better still – the results of its use.
  

• Selling services – Why is it that so many hospital brochures show hi-tech equipment, finely appointed lobbies, and patients in bed? It’s as if the sponsors think the reader has never set foot in a hospital. Unless you have a completely new service, your target audience has the basics down. As with products, spend your time showing and telling how you deliver better results than the competition.

The message? Your target audience’s time is precious. Make your message worth their investment by standing clear of the clichés.