On Marketing and Political Assassinations

By Sarah Warren, MBA

Note: The following blog is a sneak peak of an article to be published in the upcoming Chamber Connection (January 2010), the monthly newsletter of the Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.

A recurring discussion we’ve had with clients lately relates to using marketing messaging that speaks to the prospect about the prospect.

Often companies talk only about themselves, which feels right because we are all naturally inclined to talk about ourselves, pointing out why we’re cheaper, faster, better. Therein lies the problem, though, because prospects are also naturally inclined to think of themselves first. Hence the need to speak to prospects using WIIFM messaging; that is “What’s in it for me?” with the “me” being the prospect, not the company.

Interestingly, on the heels of these discussions I happened to catch a National Public Radio (NPR) report about a Secret Service study into what motivates individuals to attempt political assassinations.

In a piece entitled “Fame Through Assassination: A Secret Service Study” NPR reporter Alix Spiegel shared that in the mid-1980s, following numerous attempts to assassinate President Reagan and then Vice President George H.W. Bush, Secret Service leadership commissioned a study to look into the behaviors of assassins and would-be assassins.

Surprisingly, the study found that in most cases assassinations—or attempted assassinations—of political figures were almost never based on political motives.

Secret Service psychologist and co-author of the study, Robert Fein said, “It was very, very rare for the primary motive to be political, though there were a number of attackers who appeared to clothe their motives with some political rhetoric.”

Instead, most of the assassins “simply felt invisible,” and made their attempts for the purpose of being “somebody.” Political targets were chosen because of their notoriety, because people would notice when a politician dies and the person responsible would become instantly famous, or at least infamous.

And what of the targets? Study authors went on to say that political targets were preferred to celebrities because the assassins could craft a story involving politically-driven motivation, thereby making themselves out to be not such bad people, at least in their own minds.

Again, the idea is that the assassins would be depressed or otherwise upset individuals who, having made the decision to attempt an assassination to gain notoriety and fame, used political causes to construct a motive justifying their actions.

Ok, so not that this study is directly relevant to marketing, but it does help to underscore that if people can be driven to murder because of a WIIFM mentality, then they will most definitely be driven to choose their bleach, bank or bagels on the basis of what they stand to personally get out of it.

That’s not to say that there aren’t aspects about a company that are useful to a prospect when making a purchase decision; the trick is putting those details in terms of “you” and not “me.” The goal of WIIFM messaging is to put everything said about your business in terms of how it will benefit the prospect. If your business is cheaper, the prospect will save money. If your business is faster, the prospect will save time. If your offering is better performing, the prospect will have a better experience.

So, instead of saying you’re cheaper, faster and better, tell the prospect that they stand to save money and time and have a better experience with your product. A nuance in language, yes, but a critical one indeed.

The other interesting aspect of the assassin study that could be applicable to consumer behavior is the idea that the assassins constructed their motive after making the decision to act.

For prospects this could indicate that in some instances the purpose to buy is identified after the intent to buy has been established. This would certainly be evident in the case of non-essential, impulse buys, especially expensive ones. For example, an iPhone isn’t the only phone out there, but its bells and whistles are hard for some people to resist. I’m sure there have been some instances where an iPhone was so desired that the prospect sold themselves that the product would do all sorts of wonderful things that other options couldn’t provide. Key phrase: sold themselves.

To recap the lesson herein, marketing messaging must be put in terms of “you” (the prospect). But the goal, the cherry on top, if you will, is to have messaging so compelling, so irresistible, that prospects sell themselves on the purchase.

Sarah co-owns Emogen Marketing Group, a full service marketing firm in Ruston, LA, and can be reached at sarah@emogenmarketing.com.