August 25, 2010

Now that you have our attention...

In this Age of Distraction, it’s harder than ever to capture people’s attention. I was reminded of this recently through two communications I encountered.

The first was a greeting card from a large, well-known non-profit. The envelope appeared to be addressed in handwritten ball-point ink. Inside was a personal note, signed by the president of the organization:

“We haven’t heard from you in a while. I hope you are well. Your support is sorely missed, and the need is still great. Please, can you help us again?”

A closer look revealed that the envelope and personal note were both computer generated, using one of the more evolved “handwriting” fonts.

I hope you are well. Five words of apparent sincerity. Presented deceptively in fake handwriting.

A day earlier, I’d come across another communication that caught my attention while driving: A small outdoor sign that read, “1-Day Sale.”

Come to think of it, I had seen the same sign a week earlier. And maybe even a week before that. In several different places around our community. Subconsciously, it had registered as a Macy’s event – furniture or mattresses, I’m guessing.

So I sought out these signs. They weren’t for Macy’s – they pitched a brand of “jazz” exercise. The “one day” special changed as the offer was extended. All of the signs were staked in public land areas of the roadway.

While two very different examples, both communications succeeded in cutting through the everyday fog of messages. They got our attention. But at what cost to their brands?

The internationally known and respected charity reached me with a falsely personalized sentiment.

The jazz exercise studio reached me where I didn’t want to see them – outdoors, on property I own and share with everyone else.

Connecting is crucial. But how you connect is just as important.