Grabbing Attention, Trojan Horse Style.
A client I was in a Zoom call with last week asked me, “What can we offer to stand out from competing organizations?” I told him that we must first focus on grabbing customer attention, and only then deliver the benefit.
Take Greek history. I’m sure they thought a huge wooden horse outside the gates of the sieged city of Troy would grab attention, and they were right. As the Greeks pretended to sail away, the Trojans brought in the horse as a victory trophy. Once inside, the hidden army in the belly of the horse could creep out and do their work.
So first, you must get attention. Like this:
Now, you don’t even have to be into yoga to wonder what in Transylvania is happening here. If you heard someone say, “Vampire yoga,” you’d say, “What?” If you saw it in your newsfeed, you’d pause for more info. It arrests the viewer first, then intrigues you to find out more.
In other words, I say that attention is gained by providing a stimulus that is unexpected given the current context.
Only after attention is captured can any benefit be communicated.
“As a dance organization that has been around as long as we have, how do we do that?” he asked.
“You tell me,” I said. “What ideas can we create that defy what your customers expect in a dance company that has been around as long as you have?”
Time for you to implement. It’s Ron’s Monday Mission™:
Before people become your regulars, what do they expect from your organization? You have upcoming campaigns. Review them now. Come up with three ideas on how they might be changed to grab attention through unexpected stimulus. Then, decide what you need to implement one of these ideas.
And if you’re still wondering about Vampire Yoga: https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/vampire-yoga
Have a great week,
Ron
