Some people write about the conspiracy of emotional positioning. Apparently it upsets their sense of order in the world. Apparently is just a ruse by advertising agencies to print money and has no basis in positioning. Their premise is that a value proposition “Why I should do this vs that” from an economic standpoint and clinical data are the only factors physicians use to make decisions. They believe that these two factors alone constitute positioning. As a scientist and a pharmaceutical marketer I disagree. I think emotion will always be present in the process of choice. It’s choice that everyone is trying to influence and positioning is our way of understanding which way our customers choice compass points.
I agree that many positioning statements thought to have an “emotional ” element are never going to work. Look at cited examples like “Be your Best” & ” Return to Life” . These are bumper stickers or tag lines at best. It’s not brand positioning. Customers will not think like this after using the brand and it will not be the reason they remember the brand or choose the brand in the future. Like it or not, when you communicate clinical data or value propositions, your customers will create a story around them to give it meaning. So it’s up to you. You can either let people create their own meaning to your brand or you can guide them to a common understanding of the brand through metaphor and brand story. Yes there will be emotion, you need it as the word itself implies emotion implies movement from the root of the word.
Employing emotion is really important for all communications. I think it’s the “secret sauce” that creates authenticity. Imagine life without emotion. It would be robotic, sanitized and controlled. It would be artificial and I think people fail to move when communicated to in this way. Lets clear up a few myths of positioning. Advertising does not create positioning. Data and logical argument alone does not create positioning and what you say about your brand position is, it is not positioning. What your customers say about your brand is the reality of your positioning.
In a final attempt to convince you that data and logic alone are not enough to carry a brand, I am reminded of the fragility of our own minds and the propensity for us to create meaning out of data. The biased assimilation of information means that logical conclusions are almost never straight forward. They depend on the bias your audience carries with them. These biases are based on society, culture and memory and a key part of memory will be emotion. I think you need a story that taps into customers emotion to guide the way people process data and brand information. A great brand combines meaningful clinical data and a compelling value proposition but is communicated in a way that lets customers experience emotional aspect of the brand to create meaning.
Mark
Thanks for your commentary, Mark. You’re always one of the most thoughtful correspondents on this subject.
If I’m allowed a ‘however’, however…
I worry that the ‘they’ you cite represents a straw man position that no-one actually holds, so it is easy to knock it down. I’m not arrogant enough to presume that I’m the only one you are railing against, but as a thorough reading of my article on this subject would show (http://ideapharma.com/announcements/emotional-positioning), I don’t diminish the role of ’emotion’ or subconscious motivations in brand associations.
It matters what you mean by ‘positioning’, of course. Linking it to communications automatically elevates the need for story, and therefore storytelling. When applied to a product in phase II (which is when I believe positioning is mostly set) does increase the essential role of the value proposition.
Also, I would be very careful to say that I do not believe that I believe clinical data are important by themselves. I’d argue that the clinical data *that you choose to collect* remain the most important differentiator (hence the importance of positioning in phase II). The case studies of blockbusters all back up my view on this.
On the subject of conspiracy, while I threw it into the prose, I prefer to believe that it is not an active one, but a product of disinterest, misguided enthusiasm and inexperience. All of which are vulnerable to debate such as this… I’d rather see a passionate advocacy for it than the passive submission I usually encounter.
Finally, an argument for the value proposition. I have also written that a proper value proposition (as opposed to the market access version) has the emotion built right in: value is not the same as cost – it carries an intrinsic need for a motivational ‘value’. And ‘proposition’, well that’s your story right there.
While our positions seem apart, seen from a different perspective, they are about different parts of the timeline, so I see us as agreeing! Let’s have more of this 🙂
Mark
Mike
Just to state the obvious that I work for Novartis but write here my own thoughts. With the social media disclaimer done actually I wasn’t writing only in response to your article and your right actually we are very close in the arguments. My point is that you can not discount the emotional side of positioning.
Value proposition is important and if done the way you suggest its essential. But rarely do I see more than the economic version and again this is not positioning. I think we both agreed to don’t get to do anything without differentiated clinical data that is meaningful to regulators, payers, Physician and patients.
But back to positioning. Real positioning. This is the sum of what you say the brand is, what they see the brand doing- customers prior experience- what they say your brand is. So your work does start in phase II your right but doesn’t stop there. A well thought through phase II plan will not guarantee success. A comprehensive phase III plan does not guarantee success either. The best value proposition with the most compelling logic will not enable change or choice either, on its own. Great communications, with or without a story won’t work either on its own. But bring them together and you may have a chance.
So differentiated data, that adds value, communicated in a way that is both memorable and repeatable is your best chance of aligning with your audience. The trick is to know its all of these elements are important. Many people do not think so. The skill is to know what to do with them.
Now both of us just need to bring each bit closer create the perfect brand.
Thanks for taking the time to write on my blog.
Mark
Mark
Great article. Story is an integral part of the experience, and arguably more important than the product itself in many categories (e.g. I work in the beauty care industry). The trick is to make sure the story is grounded in a true consumer insight, and not solely on an “award winning” marketing ploy. Thanks for sharing.
Mark
Your article made me think: What stories are worth being retold?
What do people need, to tell a story to friends, family and all the others around them?
With years of experience we want to guide people to those stories and make them count!
Check out our event, we would love to discuss our stories with you!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teddy-bear-airdrop-and-some-new-insights-on-the-future-of-brand-experiences-registration-11837437093
Have a look and join in!
All the best,
The Tale Studio
Mark
Andreas
You have a great business and I enjoyed the site. Im very much aligned with your philosophy. I’m always up for a good story.
As you can see I come from the Pharma business where you would think that all we would do is tell stories but thats not how its been but i have been changing that.
I write Science stories using storytelling Science.
I might be in LA the first week of July.
What story are you working on now
Mark
On stories that get retold there is so much work just look at yours. I did. . What you have to think of is the connection between Jokes, Music, Anthems, Photographs, Logos (icons in the older days) and history. The one connection there is emotion (latin for movement). Things that get retold hit our emotions, ” Emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusion.
Get emotional. If you can bury a brand experience as a memory you do so with emotion. as you tell the memory you get the pleasure of feeling the emotion again. The more you tell it the better the reward.
In your stories what emotion an memory are you activating and creating.
So much to talk about.
Mark
ps its funny History is hiSTORY. Some would say the the future is a story we tell about tomorrow. History is a tale we tell about yesterday. Realty only exist now the rest is just a story. So we live all our lives in a perpetual story.