So two days ago i posted a post about how Shona has lost it’s relevance. Almost immediately i became a victim of not following my own advice as was demonstrated to me in the comments section of the blog as well as my Facebook wall.
The point of the post i wrote was about how much relevance matters and how many brands and businesses in Zimbabwe are losing it daily…no one disagrees The illustration i chose to use on the other hand (Shona), bombed from the start, for two main reasons
- I didn’t think through the point about Shona thoroughly enough, because whilst the language is certainly lost some relevance in the business context and some public areas, it has by no means, lost it in more intimate settings. Shona lives! I was wrong about that in a big way.Thanks to all the passionate people who set me straight!
- The second mistake i made was not considering the world view of the people i was writing to, because you see, even if i had been right (which i wasn’t), i could never had won them over. Marketers looking to tell stories that sell a product or a perspective on the matter…this is key
Always take into consideration the world view of the market, it can make or break your campaign.
Why is it that Hollywood hasn’t made a movie about a German Hero who defeats the evil American Terrorists? World view
Why is it that some people believe that Jesus was poor, whilst others believe he was financially very well off? World View
Why is it that no matter how many times President Mugabe or Morgan Tsvangirai do the right thing, many opposing party supporters won’t change their vote?
Why is it that no matter how many times it’s disproved and refuted, theories about the supremacy of one race over another still lives?
Marketers, don;t have the luxury of ignoring the markets world view. Especially around issues that people feel strongly about (Homosexuality, politics, female rapists, abortion), presenting the facts will not do the trick.You must move the heart.
Contrary to what you may have though, people are far from logical. You can bash us with fact after excellent fact, but unless you stir up some emotion with your argument, your marketing is doomed – much like my illustration on the irrelevance of Shona!