Earlier this century, a wealthy western government ran a campaign intended to discourage drug use among teenagers. The net results were as follows:

• More than two-thirds of the teenagers surveyed recognised the adverts;

• 80 percent of parents said they were more inclined to talk with their kids about their social activities;

• There was a slight increase in drug use among teenagers who remembered seeing the ads.

Why was this?

They had not tested the campaign, which featured scenes such as a group of teenagers passing around a joint in the garage of a suburban home, with the target audience.

How does this affect your business?

In rushing to write:

• A blog entry

• A tweet

• An advert

• An email newsletter

• A 10 minute presentation

• That crucial 60 second networking “script”

Do you pause to think about the audience that will read your text? What might they think?

Have you tried asking somebody to review the text you use most often – to ensure that it creates the understanding and interpretation that you intend?

Close to Home

A pub re-opens under new management after a major re-fit. Villagers hear that the local riffraff are not welcome (Could this be the 18-23 singles who might go in every night and spend nearly all their wages in the pub?). The locals welcome the new landlord and offer free advertising in the parish magazine – the place has been closed for nearly a year. This is declined. The first locals start to re-inhabit the bar and find that wine can only be purchased by the bottle (they may offer small bottles but stories mature in the re-telling!). They tell everybody else. Now the new landlord, who could have welcomed the villagers back whilst he built up his new clientele has to build from nothing – in the midst of one of the toughest times for village pubs.

Questions to ask yourself

Especially if you are changing your offer or taking on a business that has an image that you wish to change:

• Does my offer suit my existing customers?

• Will new customers arrive quickly enough to replace the customers I might lose following my change of offer?

• What message will people pass on when they hear my new story?

  • Positive?

  • Negative?

• How will the stories about my business change as they mature?

This was a guest post by Paul Fileman of SPS who are a national team of proven senior management professionals, passionate about working to help businesses achieve their next level of development and performance. Whether they are facing market changes, financial problems, people/skills issues, or are preparing a major project, they offer dedicated support from a multi-disciplined team of experts.

Free updates:
If you enjoyed this post and would like to be kept updated on future posts, then please click here to get updates by Email. Alternately you can follow the updates the Business Opportunities And Ideas Facebook page or follow me on Twitter.