do words matter?
DESCRIPTION
Janet Barker-Evans and Curt Munk presentation for the 2014 Shopper Marketing SummitTRANSCRIPT
1
DO WORDS MATTER?
March 26, 2014 Janet Barker-Evans & Curt Munk
2
http://bit.ly/1h6KbRm
3
“I wrote the same, but different words.”
4
5
=+AUDIENCE ENVIROMENT context
IT’S ABOUT USING THE “RIGHT WORDS”
=+BRAND BENEFIT content
6
“I don’t care what it says, it just has to have appetite appeal.”
7
“Just use the headline from the print ad.”
8
9
10
WORDS HAVE INCREDIBLE POWER
Hurt or Help Build Trust, Inspire or Promote
Focus on Commonality or Divisive Elements
Sell or Alienate Confuse or Clarify
11
AS MARKETERS, WORDS ARE OUR BEST BET…
12
In reality, people respond to emotion first, and reason last..
13
DECADES OF COPY TESTING…
Perception
Experience
Memory
14
It’s: Feel, Think, Do Not: Think, Do, Feel
15
5 THINGS THAT MATTER
16
#1: NOSTALGIA WORKS!
17
18
NOSTALGIA
• Thoughts evoked by nostalgia are not always positive
• However, "yearning for yesterday" as a message is more effective than not connecting with nostalgic thoughts
19
20
21
22
23
#2: CONTEXT MATTERS, A LOT!
24
CONTEXT MATTERS!
"MESSAGES ARE NEVER THE SAME FOR ALL RECIPIENTS BUT FILTERED BY NEEDS, CONDITIONS, SUBCULTURE, AND USAGE"
25
=+AUDIENCE ENVIROMENT context
=+BRAND BENEFIT content
26
27
28
29
30
POWER WORDS REALLY WORK, PROVIDED THEY AREN'T WALLPAPER IN YOUR CATEGORY
• New• Improved• Free• Time-tested• Doctor
Recommended• Scientific•Miracle• Now…
31
32
ChildMother
DaughterFamily
HusbandMarry
FriendFeelDateLove
33
ManGuySex
MarryRomantic
Love"Real Man"
CancerAnxiety
EatFreckles
34
The words Judges use in opinion reflect their hierarchy in the appellate system…
Cautious WordsHedging
Seem TendSuggestAssumeProbabilityUsually
• It could be the case that…• It might be suggested that…
35
“Just use the headline from the print ad.”
36
#3 - INTERESTING OFTEN BEATS SAFE
37
THE NEW "INTERESTING" ADVERTISING WORDS
• Luxurious• Decadent• Sugary• Sexy• Exquisite• Bitchin'• "I"
• Solid• Nourishing• Brown• Well-molded• Sustainable• Post-consumer• "We"
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
#4 - LANGUAGE EVOLVES
48
CREESECRANCH
PROBANGPORLAN
OCTANDRIOUSCOMPLEMENT-FIXATION
SNOLLYGOSTER
WORDS YOU'LL NO LONGER NEED, APPARENTLY
49
“Incubus”
50
51
SOME WORDS ARE BANISHED BECAUSE THEY ARE OVERUSED…
52
SelfieTwerk/Twerking
Hashtag
TwittersphereObamacare
53
WORDS & EXPRESSIONS WE LIKELY DON'T MISS…
Fiscal Cliff (2013)
Occupy (2012)
Mama Grizzlies (2011)
"Friend" as verb (2010)
Bailout (2009)
Perfect Storm (2008)
54
http://bit.ly/1ixGxje
55
56
"amazeballs"
57
58
59
#5 – WE HAVE GREAT NEW TOOLS TO GET OUR WORDS RIGHT…
60
61
62
63
FUNCTION WORDS MATTER
• Personal Pronouns - You and My• Impersonal pronouns - It and That• Contractions - Can't and They'll• Articles - The and An
64
LIWC: LINGUISTIC INQUIRY AND WORD COUNT
Liwc.net
65
FUNCTION WORDS
Provide a window to the mind because they are connected to our social behavior at a neural level
66
67
68
69
70
71
SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR US?
Audience understandingMatching benefits and language
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
5 KEY TAKEAWAYS
82
1. use nostalgia
83
84
85
86
2. know context
87
88
89
90
91
92
3. be interesting
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
4. have fun
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
5. use tools
107
108
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH US
THANK YOU!@CurtMunk @webjanet
Share your examples of great words on our Tumblr http://WordsInAction.tumblr.com
Find this presentation at: http://bit.ly/dowordsmatter