Nothing affects humans more than sincerity and candour. What are we to think of people who talk about their mistakes or admit they’ve never gotten their driver’s license because they have no sense of direction or they can’t tell north from south or left from right? Well, it’s that law we’re going to talk about here: putting the less glamorous aspects of your product out in front.
In North America, the Listerine mouthwash brand is the perfect example of this law of candour. They’re the first to admit it tastes like medicine – just like Buckley’s cough syrup, whose ads revolve around that. So, consumers assume it’s effective: if it tastes bad, it must be good for you.
When a brand owns up to having a downside, consumers immediately accept this as true. Such honesty is highly lucrative in PR and in marketing strategies. We’re also seeing it more and more with executives who are talking more openly about their failures, their depression or their mental health issues. Honesty gets human beings right in the heart.
But you’ve got to be careful with this, because announcing any less-than-stellar aspects will leave a lasting mark on the product. Once that information has settled in consumers’ minds, it will take years to get them to see things differently. In such cases, you’ve got to change the product’s formula to get rid of the bad taste. This very powerful law of candour applies to human beings as well. Think of one of your employees who has, say, confided to their coworkers that they drink too much. They probably won’t be able to shake the “heavy drinker” label for a very long time. We also have to admit that we retain the negative aspects more than the positive – just as much for a brand as we do for a person.
I remember hearing a young singer announce to her audience that she was very nervous, because it was her very first time on a big stage. An enormous wave of sympathy spread through the crowd, who was then ready to accept all of this young woman’s hesitations and mistakes.
I often urge my employees to say: “I’m still learning” or “I need help”. They can even write to a reporter to tell them: “I don’t think my subject is for you, but maybe you could point me to one of your colleagues who might be interested in this product.” You’d be amazed how much people also like helping their neighbours.
Can it be that we tend to overestimate the “positive thinking” trend? The one that’s been growing in popularity for years now. Obviously, living with a black cloud of negative thoughts over our head all the time could ruin our quality of life in the long term. However, I think this law of candour is fascinating and important to know, because it confirms that being honest is especially powerful when we’re ready to put our weaknesses out there.
I hope you enjoyed this episode, and that this PR/marketing moment stimulates your creativity.
BUCKLEY’S:
https://www.buckleys.ca/?ds_rl=1269992&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3rKQBhCNARIsACUEW_bia_8kiv4B8r85xFIfaHJzxBA4ufbikAQXIiULnYmSnEJ9blSzPNsaArQyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
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