A brand speaks to you - but somehow not to you. Sounds familiar?
It's all about quality, innovation, sustainability, value for money, values, USPs, features. But none of these buzzwords really touch you. It feels a bit like someone is proudly listing all the camera features: 24 megapixels, f/1.8 aperture, ISO values up to 25,600 and so on. But all you want is a nice photo with your family, with everyone's eyes open at the same time.
Welcome to the world of communication blindspots. Many brands think of communication primarily from their own perspective: from the perspective of their own product world, internal value work, perhaps the umpteenth USP debate. Which is understandable - after all, that is the side they are on. But what often falls by the wayside is a change of perspective. And that is exactly what makes the difference.
Speaking the language of the target group
One framework that has stuck in my mind on this topic is "Jobs to be Done" by Bob Moesta. His core statement sums it up: "People don't buy products. They hire them to solve a problem for them." Sounds simple, but it's radical. Because the task of a product never lies in the product itself. Nobody buys a drill because of the motor. It's because the finished hole in the wall makes something possible: hanging a picture, beautifying the home, finishing something you've set yourself.
Behind this is not always just a functional benefit, but often also (or even primarily) an emotional one: Pride. Self-expression. Prestige. Connection with a community. Good brand communication recognizes this dual mission. And so the job for which a person commissions a product can also be an emotional state. This can be the decisive factor, especially if there are hardly any differences to competing products at the product level.
This is where an additional problem comes into play that many underestimate: Companies are naturally experts in their product. Customers are not. What seems crystal clear to people within the company because they deal with it on a daily basis may be irrelevant, incomprehensible or even invisible from the customer's perspective. In many cases, this difference in knowledge, access and perspective is another hurdle that prevents communication from getting through.
Not to forget: Context, context, context
An additional key lies in the contexts in which our target groups operate. What cultural patterns, social narratives, trends or taboos shape their perception? Before we formulate messages or develop campaigns, we need to understand the space in which they should be received.
Brands never communicate in a vacuum. They always enter into relationships with people who are shaped by the zeitgeist, subcultures, desires, fears and experiences. Anyone who overlooks or skips over this misses the mark, or worse still, unintentionally achieves the opposite.
Opening eyes instead of making an impression
Many companies communicate in lists: Feature 1, Feature 2, Benefit 3. Or they describe themselves instead of putting themselves in the shoes of their target groups. Oh, and please make the logo even bigger!
Communication that works is created differently:
- It translates product features into everyday benefits and understands which "jobs" people want to do.
- It speaks the language of the target group and meets them where they are in their decision-making process instead of imposing itself on them.
- It does not think in terms of supply, but in terms of demand: What do we want to trigger? What narrative are we telling? What role does the brand/product play in people's lives? What context surrounds it?
In the end, it's never about listing the most features or being the loudest. What counts is that the right message reaches the right person. Nobody buys something just like that. Products are commissioned by people to fulfill "jobs". And brands need to understand these and use them to their advantage.
And: perhaps sometimes all it takes is Achtzehn Grad to see everything differently.