The above graphic is from an insert that came with a sales letter to join Credo Mobil.They are obviously going after one side of the political aisle. Which means they are not going after the other side. In fact they are pushing that side away from them. This is actually part of a letter I received the other day. Download Polarize-credo letter.
Polarization
Funny thing about polarization. If you agree with the above you probably are not in the least bit offended. And in fact you may feel energized and vilified. While the conservative ilk definitely will find this offensive and insulting. No matter which side you are on I urge you to notice any emotional response that you feel and observe rather than react.
Instead understand the dynamics and manipulation. This is marketing. This is as harsh as it gets. But it works.
Chameleon Marketing Doesn't Work
We all know about demographic marketing. That is all that polarization marketing is. But so often we afraid to face it or embrace it. Part of the reason is that our political landscape is polarized. However, we do not have to go to such drastic extremes.
But there is a ton of noise out there and your targeted audience is looking for someone to stand up for what they believe. That also means that the you will be pushing some people away. This scares the hell out of many of us. But the reality is that they probably would not work out with you anyway. So you are really doing them and you a favor. As Estate Investing trainer Bryan Ellis recently posted on his blog:
This article is a terrific example of polarization done while respecting both sides of the body politic.
The social media and the web force us into transparency so that our audience can know us at a more intimate level than perhaps we are comfortable sharing. But the reality is the more honest and forthright you are with your audience the faster they can gravitate towards you or away. Either way in the process serves you.
Now the good news is that you probably do not have to go at huge political issues. But you can take on issues locally if you are a Realtor. Or even larger issues like the interest write off, or if you are a Doctor the health care debate or perhaps invasive procedures. The point is be an advocate to your prospect in order to gain their trust and loyalty.
Reluctance to embrace ones own beliefs, passions, and convications is someone who doesn't know oneself, or someone living the chameleon sales model, and/or a scarcity model of marketing. That is while trying to be everything to everybody for fear of losing a sale. Makes you no-one to nobody.
Very cool article. You have basically taken the "national enquirer" approach to marketing, developed in the 1960s, and customized it to be applicable to social media. Neat. I am a huge fan of this idea. I do have a question that is not totally related but I am still curious. We are considering opening up an Facebook iframe app that allows customizable real estate branding concepts. We have found some decent samples, but need more ideas. Has this been done yet? What is the perceived or real efficacy of this approach? Here is an example of what we mean
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mindflash-Advertising/180033020422?v=app_4949752878
Posted by: KirillStorch | January 31, 2011 at 09:18 PM
Fan page customization of course is not new, but I like the polling on yours.
Branding concepts? I think the best approach to the fanpage is a direct response capture. Ethically bribe the visitor to like the page or give up info for a download of perceived value. Which of course is good value but also proves the brand as valuable to the reader.
Posted by: Coach Tim SEO | February 1, 2011 at 08:39 AM