It's a fine line between (some things I've noticed)...

When crafting your marketing message, it's a VERY fine line between...

Enthusiasm + Desperation. When Billy Mays yells at us about Oxyclean, etc., is he "enthusiastic" or desperate?

Authority + (false) Arrogance. When we see messages that begin with, "Everything you've been taught is garbage...", is that borne of true authority or some legitimate revolution/change in the way things are done, or is it just naively ignoring the wisdom of the ages, due to INexperience?

It's up to the receiver of our message to decide that, of course. But perception equals reality -- and I think keeping the above 'fine lines' in mind is advisable.

The more I see mrktng messages (+ maybe I'm just getting older, so I've seen more of them + I am now "immunized"), the more it may be that people do NOT want marketers to be GENUINE after all. Maybe it IS better to be GUARDED and MEASURED when crafting mrktng messages. Maybe being REAL = being amateurish.

If you truly want to be helpful to others, maybe 'just showing/demonstrating that' drives your intended audience in the OPPOSITE direction.

Maybe that approach is too intimate. Too direct. Too obvious. Too sincere(?!?).

MAYBE some who seek help DON'T really want help after all -- and the more we try to help, the more they run the other way.

Analogy: What's your response to someone who openly demonstrates they want to be friends with you?

Just some thoughts that have been percolating in my mind recently.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

-- TW