Beer: The Other Sports Drink
The more I read, the more I'm convinced that we believe whatever we are inclined to believe. Very rarely do we undergo any significant paradigm shift that changes, not just what facts we know, but also how we shape those facts in our own minds.
A few years ago, for instance, I observed a trend in billboard ads, where fit people were shown in the midst of some sort of strenuous exercise.
Were the ads for 24-Hour Fitness? Bally's? Gold's Gym?
No, no, no. Don't be silly. The ads were for beer.
I only wish I had a blog back then, because I could have grabbed the exact ads, but this one found by doing an image search should suffice for demonstration purposes.
Today I read a post on FADS (Fight Against Destructive Spin) taking aim against a study that claims that beer is better for you after a workout than water (article on the Daily Mail-UK), and I was reminded of these old ads.
Of course the study is flawed in too many ways to count, and that was the point of the FADS article. However, it's interesting to note how people look for ways to justify what they're already doing. Perhaps all marketers ARE liars, as the book title by Seth Godin suggests, but to me this seems that his real point, that marketers allow people to lie to themselves, is on full display in this case.
It may be, that like me, you wish that all issues were decided on facts and reliable data. They never are. We're people, not machines, and we believe stories, not facts...You're never going to persuade everyone of anything. What you can do, though, is persuade the persuadable, persuade the people who are choosing to listen and are open to believing the story you want to tell. - Seth Godin
Why is this so? And how does this square with Seth's recent call for more transparency? - Cam Beck
Seth's real point in "All Marketers are Liars," isn't about lying; it's about telling authentic stories. I don't see how telling authentic stories and transparency are contradictory. My take on it would be this: If you have an authentic story to tell, don't be afraid to tell it. You absolutely must do this in a transparent way or it won't be authentic.
Posted by: Gannon Beck | November 27, 2007 at 08:04 AM
Gannon - Go check out the link in the post (from the All Marketers are Liars blog). There Seth seems to be saying that stories are required., but truth is optional. Come back and let me know if you think my assessment is accurate.
Posted by: Cam Beck | November 27, 2007 at 08:05 AM
It's the difference between "meaning" and "buzz". On the one hand you have storytelling with truth -- it grounds the conversation and on the other, with buzz, you have pure chatter.
When we communicate we are attempting to help people understand or make personal sense of the world (or a product, niche etc). In some ways, "facts" get in the way of a compelling story ... and we are more likely to "believe" with our heart than listen with our heads. The story that can be told and retold is the one that we all seek -- it is marketing gold. Sometimes these stories are true, sometimes we just want them to be. For many of us, the distinction between the two is not an issue -- which reflects our own inconsistencies anyway.
I think meaning and consistency shifts in time with the chaos of our lives. I am different to how I was 20 years ago and how I will be 20 years in the future. I agree with Gannon ... we should embrace this strange ambivalence.
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | November 27, 2007 at 08:06 AM
Gav - Thanks for weighing in. Can you elaborate for me? What ways will you be different in 20 years? And in what ways do you expect and hope to remain the same?
Posted by: Cam Beck | November 27, 2007 at 08:06 AM