A powerful psychological technique...

[Dien Rice]

Back when I was an undergraduate in college, I had a popular friend...

He had no trouble getting some of the most beautiful women in college to go out with him.

One day, I was talking with him about it. He then told me his secret for attracting these beautiful women...

"The secret," he said, "is not to give everything away. You've got to have some mystery."

This is not only a secret in getting the most attractive girls (or guys) to be interested in you...

It's also great for marketing!

Here's another guy who was a master of it...

Michael Jackson.

For all of the controversy, he was a master at creating an aura of mystery...

For example, at one stage, Michael Jackson put tape on his fingers...



What was the tape for? In a private conversation with a friend, Michael Jackson once explained... The purpose of the tape was...

"To make everyone wonder."

Again, Apple (under Steve Jobs) was another master company using the power of mystery in its marketing. Everyone would wonder what the new, latest fantastic announcement would be. The security of their secrets was air-tight - to keep up the mystery!

When the big "reveal" came every year, reporting on the latest Apple devices flooded the media...

Now... I gotta do a better job of using this myself...

Best wishes,

Dien

[unpinkpanther]

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

What was the tape for? In a private conversation with a friend, Michael Jackson once explained... The purpose of the tape was...

"To make everyone wonder."

Again, Apple (under Steve Jobs) was another master company using the power of mystery in its marketing. Everyone would wonder what the new, latest fantastic announcement would be. The security of their secrets was air-tight - to keep up the mystery!

When the big "reveal" came every year, reporting on the latest Apple devices flooded the media...

Now... I gotta do a better job of using this myself...

Best wishes,

Dien

...how do you know where to draw the lines?

Isn't it possible that you could be
mysterious to the point of even keeping your
prospects wondering what exactly you're all
about?

Is there any way of knowing what to reveal and what
to tease with?

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by unpinkpanther

...how do you know where to draw the lines?

Isn't it possible that you could be
mysterious to the point of even keeping your
prospects wondering what exactly you're all
about?

Is there any way of knowing what to reveal and what
to tease with?

Good question!

If you give nothing away... Probably you won't get noticed. You can be so "mysterious" that you stay in your house, and never produce anything. Nobody will know you exist... Which is not very good marketing!

You have to give out some information, have some presence, but hold back enough to make things mysterious. How much? I guess it's a matter for experimentation!

Most marketers, entertainers, companies, etc., don't do this. But there are a few who do it very well.

Here's one of my favorites, using mystery and curiosity in a direct response ad. This is one of a series of ads, written by the late, great Bud Weckesser.

In the ad below... What the heck is this woman doing?

Notice that he never actually tells you!



A current entertainer making big use of mysteriousness is Sia...

She often covers her face, or sings with her back to the audience...

Here's how she looked when she was interviewed on the TV show Ellen...



Her recent single ("Cheap Thrills") hit #1 on the US music charts...

Best wishes,

Dien