A lot has been written about the new Yahoo! campaign. The punch line to the conversations I have had and the posts I have read: Yahoo! missed the mark. This isn’t surprising in hindsight. Especially if you strip it down to the basics.
We are in the age of people, not consumers. Unique people. Diverse people. People who want things they want, personalize what they want, share things they want, relate to things that they like. The same people who beg to be spoken to, not at. Which is why I don’t understand how the people at Yahoo!, (you know the ones with all that data on consumer trends, a buzz index, search trends- the ones who should have predicted this very outcome) let this campaign see the light of day. They broke a simple rule: Don’t Assume. Or that other rule- the one about not being everything to everyone.
Under no circumstance should a brand message overtly tell a target/consumer/user (whatever marketing word you use in your brief) you are talking to them and try to prove it with a barrage of photo-shopped, beautiful, mulit-race, multi-aged, happy-as-a-pig-in-shit, dancing people and that they should see themselves in there. Don’t do it. Don’t assume they will find someone to connect with or want to connect with. Don’t assume they have aspirations to be any of those people in any of those scenarios. Apparently, that did not come out in the focus groups for Yahoo.
But, what if you have a product or a service that you do want people to imagine themselves using? One that solves a specific, personalized need. One that has a large target base not defined by one demographic profile. ‘You’ should not be feared. ‘You’ is a word that can be used correctly. It can be used in a way a consumer can relate to. An unlikely good example coming from this vacuum-hating, digital girl: the Bissell TV spot.
Bissell launched an ad asking “is your vacuum a good match for you?” You. There’s that word again. But it is used differently. Instead of showing messy house, a frazzled mom, a busy young-single in a suit, and hoping I can connect with that moment, Bissell personified the vacuum to showcase the their product benefits and their competitors short-comings.
‘You’ don’t want a girlie one that won’t touch the pet hair. I don’t see myself in that moment, but I know I hate it when my vacuum doesn’t get everything.
‘You’ don’t want the big tough, heavy one that can’t maneuver easily. Bissell, you are right. Heavy vacuums are not for me. They highlight different features that are relatable, features that solve an immediate need. Bissell declares, “at Bissell, we design our vacuums with you in mind.” And they created a spot that makes me believe that. And, it’s a vacuum, people. A vacuum.
You might say, there is no comparison. Apples to oranges. You may have a case, but play along with me for a second. Read the following statements and guess who I am describing: Yahoo or Bissell:
1. I can solve a need
2. I can simplify something that is frustrating
3. I use consumer insights to design products and features
4. I spend a lot of money to develop new ways to solve new issues
5. A variety of people, in all shapes, sizes, counties and income levels use me. And use me often.
6. I am in a very competitive category
7. I need to speak directly to people, without alienating anyone
Give up? Both. All of those statements and more can describe both brands. So, I ask you. How did Yahoo miss the mark by such a huge margin, while a vacuum nailed it? Why did Yahoo shy away from focusing on solutions, simplifying benefits? or at the very least tell me why I should care. Even if I see myself in those ads, I still don’t know why Yahoo is the right place for me to go. Why didn’t Yahoo tell me or show me Yahoo? Please help me understand, because this one baffles me.
Watch both spots and tell me if you agree, disagree or could care less.
the world according to schmogel. 