To quote Gary V: “everything you’ve all done to get here is about capturing attention”. This was a comment he made at a gaming conference and in reference to how we, a product, a service, succeed or fail. Attention is the currency in which we operate. If we fail to capture our markets attention, no matter how good what we have to offer may be, we fail. So how do we capture attention?
In my experience, capturing attention is related to the unexpected. When we do or offer something that our target doesn’t expect, we stimulate a dopamine release in the targets brain which makes us more memorable. Whether they view that memory in a positive or negative light is very much a function of what we have done, however for the purpose of this discussion let’s assume our unexpected action is interpreted positively.
In 2007, UBS dressed 75 of its bankers in Lululemon gear and had them take part in a flash mob in Central Park in an attempt to win their IPO. Not to be outdone, Goldman Sachs sent their bankers to meetings with Lululemon dressed head to toe in their kit. Both banks were prominent parts of the deal team.
I have read stories about a consultancy group responding to an RFP from Pizza Hut by sending a courier dressed as a pizza hut delivery man with the RFP inside a pizza hut box. A friend of mine who owns a hotel in Panama has his pool staff offer a tray of different suntan lotions to the guests as the lounge in the sun.
There are an infinite number of ways that we can take action to stand out however they all have one thing in common; we need to think out of the box and that means most people don’t do it.
This is a wonderful insight as it means that most of your competition is leaving this advantage for you to benefit from.
Capturing attention is not without risks. Some people may feel your actions to be overbearing and react defensively by backing off. The risk of such a reaction reduces as the relationship develops. The more that the other side knows you, the more they will trust your intent and be less likely to react defensively. That said, when in competition for business, even with new counterparts I would always look for opportunities to capture attention. In my opinion the risk-reward justifies any risk because at worst, you will be remembered for trying.
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Always interesting to read your excellent posts. Re today's I remember years ago being told 'To achieve unusual results you need to use unusual methods', which kind of encapsulates your message.