Every industry has its core tenants of knowledge that are understood by every employee. Whether its the ingredients that separate cola from diet cola, or the accepted units that measure speed, efficiency, thoroughness, or quality, every business has its own essential know-how. The problem occurs when marketers believe that everyone, including customers, share this knowledge.
For example, my company is tied into both the market research and innovation consulting fields. As a result, we take great pride in our research which is primarily "video based ethnography". You may know what ethnography is, and surely you understand the concept of video, but does the phrase above actually mean anything to you? We've found shopping for research is hard. After all, could you decide between quantitative or qualitative, and then choose an ethnographic study over focus groups, in-depth interviews, or other study? Does even thinking about it start to cause you a little frustration?
From the inside of an industry, it is easy to understand what is being communicated to consumers. From the outside, customers only see arbitrary rating systems or misunderstood lists of product attributes. This concept is referred to as "Tribal Knowledge" in one of my favorite books: Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.
In order to conquer this obstacle, you have to acknowledge that consumers don't share your knowledge. You must turn your industry knowledge into meaningful benefit statements. Even if its widely know within your company what benefits material A59 provides, material A59 may have no meaning to your customer. A rule of thumb is to explain your product as your customer would recommend it to a friend. For instance, "Material A59 makes this product lighter/faster/more durable than competitive products," means more than "This product is the only one to use Material A59." Its easier to compare benefits (substantiated by a product attribute) than attributes left by themselves.
Example time: lets say you're looking to buy a hammer. Assuming the below lists (which are comprised of purely made up criteria) are on the packaging, and all other factors (price, etc) are equal, which are you more likely to buy:
Nail Driver
- 1.25" diameter striking surface
- 2/3 Kg head mass
- 87% pine synthetic blend handle
- Rated 8 on the Harberfeld Scale
Strikemaster
- Larger head surface is more accurate when driving nails
- Greater mass helps you drive nails faster
- Low-recoil handle reduces fatigue and muscle ache
- Received the highest rating on the Harberfeld Scale which measures quality and durability: 8
Are these two products saying the same thing? Which product is easier to understand? Which looks more appealing? Why?
Consumers aren't stupid, but successful companies must learn to speak their language.
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