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There are at least two big ways to get laughs –- tell a joke or do improv....
A comedian who simply tells jokes is trying to sell the audience a clever story and a punch line. Their compensation: laughter. On a good night their warehouse of punch lines “sells" like hotcakes. On a bad night, they’re left with an inventory of jokes no one wants.
Some brands are punchlines. Their sales process reads like the directions from a shampoo bottle: Offer a sellable service or product. Announce the offer with as much advertising showmanship as affordable. Hope for the best. Make a few quick sales. Repeat as often as possible.
“Punchline brands” are about:
- The price.
- Quick wins with as little risk as possible.
- Best guesses about product demand.
- Basic transactions - the money.
Improv is different.
Improv is a collaborative endeavor requiring not only a team but participation from the audience. Improv’s payoffs include connections with the audience as well as the laughter. There isn’t a script so it involves more risk, but the impact is much deeper. These laughs are of the “you had to be there” variety –- the dialog can be repeated, but the magic of improv is unique to each individual.
“Improv brands” are:
- Delivered by teams.
- Transformational not just transactional.
- Powerful in their ability to form connections and positive expectations.
- Riskier but more sustainable since they create relationships.
Improv brands create unique stories. Be prepared to be surprised. That’s part of the power of relationships.
Improv brands value design. People feel emotional and aesthetic patterns even when they can’t articulate it. Good design drives successful brands.
Improv brands create meaning -– in addition to money. Meaning is about life-changing aspirations that get us going in the morning. Making meaning is the most powerful motivator.
So, what kind of brand do you want? One that creates an interactive relationship with your clients? One that is sustainable and continues to give “you had to be there” moments even after the sale? Or just a joke?
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Comments
Mike,
Two more things that improv brands do: The become enduring and compelling.
Good post, Mike.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 11.14.06
Mike,
Excellent post. Either marketers take the short cut and try to push brands and products on features and price, or they work to build lasting customer relationships. The former approach is fleeting, and the latter builds lasting brands.
Posted by: Ted Mininni | 11.14.06
Good stuff. The emotional part to branding is what I try to concentrate on, assuming you know your audience.
Sell the solution and the experience, not the product.
Posted by: Jim Kukral | 11.14.06
Hi Michael,
Excellent post. I also think Ted and Jim got it exactly right with their pithy comments. Nothing cements customer relationships like the consistent delivery of great experiences with a brand. And, I might add, appealing to the emotive rather than intellectual side of the customer.
Posted by: Claire Ratushny | 11.14.06
Excellent post, Mike. Improv brands also use memories as launching pads for stories. Reminds me of Seth Godin's reversed funnel ... giving your brand's consumers the tools (an experience) that can be talked about, embellished and perhaps even joked about.
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | 11.14.06
Woo-hoo! I'm an improv brand! (I'm a joke, but the brand is pure improv...)
Excellent analogies again Mike. You have a gift.
Yes, as you and I have discussed before, relationships take time to develop, but they sure do pay off in the end. My blog has been great for that.
I've always stated that I'm a crappy salesperson, but I'm a great relationship builder. In the end, I personally feel that pays off better. To this day I talk to customers I had 10 years and two companies ago who still talk about those old relationships.
Taking the time to plant seeds, water them and let them grow can be hard when sales are needed right now... but it is so very worth it. AND much more sustainable as you mention.
Posted by: Tim Jackson | 11.14.06
Lewis, Ted, Jim, Claire, Gavin, and Tim --- put us all in a room and I think we would make one mind-blowing "improv the brand" team!
Look at the themes that flow through your comments:
Enduring, compelling, lasting, emotional, experiential, memorable, and relational.
Awesome!
Posted by: Michael Wagner | 11.14.06