The Process of Elimination
I found this really cool quote about the process of elimination by Elbert Hubbard who is considered by many to be the grandfather of modern marketing.
He said, "The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination.
" If sculpting a work of art was as simple as removing parts of marble, everyone would or should be able to do it, right? Wrong! You may be able to picture something in your mind, with all the elements and shapes, but once you pick up a chisel, your hand is not able to sculpt what your mind imagined! What is the problem? Simplification! There's so much marble, so much room for error, so many different shapes and designs the statue could take.
Quite simply, overwhelming! The process of elimination that Hubbard speaks of is simply, simplification and the technique of making something seem simpler than it really is.
Simplifying elements and chipping away to get through all the meaningless hype is the best way to develop a clear message.
In advertising, if your customer has to think too much about what you are trying to say, you will loose them.
Clients sometimes look at me strange when I tell them that their message is too complicated and hard to understand.
Sometimes they are even a bit put off when I tell them that what they really need to do is step back from their brand and stop over analyzing it.
And, for consumers to understand your message well, you must remove many of the things that do not matter.
It means getting rid of the clutter so that what is left communicates real value.
If your audience hears your voice and understands your message, they will respond the way you want them to.
As an example, an old friend stopped in this weekend to ask my advice about a graphic she wanted to create which would be used in print and on the web.
When she finished explaining what she had sketched out, I was totally confused and had to ask her to start from the beginning.
Her real dilemma was that no one could understand her let alone create what she envisioned.
After more probing, asking questions and chipping away at her problem, I was able to simplify her idea into one graphic sketch that explained her concept visually.
The sketch communicated visually what took her so long to explain verbally.
It was an AhhhHhhh light bulb moment for my friend! Just like sculpting a work of art, simplifying a marketing message isn't always easy to do and takes skill and professional help.
To start, write down some of the most important features about your brand and what you think the consumer will appreciate most.
What do you really want your target market to know about your company or service? What unique value do you offer them? The process of simplification starts with understanding these questions and chipping down to the core ideas to create a memorable and compelling message that is clear, direct and simple to understand.
He said, "The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination.
" If sculpting a work of art was as simple as removing parts of marble, everyone would or should be able to do it, right? Wrong! You may be able to picture something in your mind, with all the elements and shapes, but once you pick up a chisel, your hand is not able to sculpt what your mind imagined! What is the problem? Simplification! There's so much marble, so much room for error, so many different shapes and designs the statue could take.
Quite simply, overwhelming! The process of elimination that Hubbard speaks of is simply, simplification and the technique of making something seem simpler than it really is.
Simplifying elements and chipping away to get through all the meaningless hype is the best way to develop a clear message.
In advertising, if your customer has to think too much about what you are trying to say, you will loose them.
Clients sometimes look at me strange when I tell them that their message is too complicated and hard to understand.
Sometimes they are even a bit put off when I tell them that what they really need to do is step back from their brand and stop over analyzing it.
And, for consumers to understand your message well, you must remove many of the things that do not matter.
It means getting rid of the clutter so that what is left communicates real value.
If your audience hears your voice and understands your message, they will respond the way you want them to.
As an example, an old friend stopped in this weekend to ask my advice about a graphic she wanted to create which would be used in print and on the web.
When she finished explaining what she had sketched out, I was totally confused and had to ask her to start from the beginning.
Her real dilemma was that no one could understand her let alone create what she envisioned.
After more probing, asking questions and chipping away at her problem, I was able to simplify her idea into one graphic sketch that explained her concept visually.
The sketch communicated visually what took her so long to explain verbally.
It was an AhhhHhhh light bulb moment for my friend! Just like sculpting a work of art, simplifying a marketing message isn't always easy to do and takes skill and professional help.
To start, write down some of the most important features about your brand and what you think the consumer will appreciate most.
What do you really want your target market to know about your company or service? What unique value do you offer them? The process of simplification starts with understanding these questions and chipping down to the core ideas to create a memorable and compelling message that is clear, direct and simple to understand.
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