First, let me explain how we use frames to view the world.
The last time you watched an ad on TV or read an ad in a magazine, did you notice that how you responded to the perceived message was influenced by your past experiences and/or current views?
Probably not. Yet, you carry around with you your assumptions, paradigms and beliefs – collectively your frame of reference – and they shape how you see things.
Think for a moment about the people or organizations in your life that have rubbed you the wrong way. Maybe they didn’t treat you right or you were completely ripped off. Or maybe a company’s actions seemed only self-serving without giving anything back.
We’ve all been there.
Today’s post drives at one core motivation in humans and organizations: how we see our access and relationship to resources.
The toughest and most common problem in business is often managing interpersonal relationships and resolving conflict. How many co-workers, supervisors or subordinates do you work with that frustrate you? That make you feel as if every encounter is a personal attack?
In my last job, several members of the executive team frequently had strong and heated conflicts with department heads. So much so that morale was often depressed throughout the company (trickle down effect).
As I’ve been watching the olympics over the last few days (go Team USA!), I’ve been impressed by quite a few commercials. Specifically, Proctor & Gamble, Nike and AT&T (you can see some of the commercials over at Forbes.com). Visa’s use of Morgan Freeman is pretty good as well, just not as imaginative.
However, the ad above from 5 Hour Energy left me dumbfounded, but not in the way the ad team had hoped. The ad insinuates or gives the impression that 73% of doctors surveyed recommended 5 Hour Energy.
But that isn’t the case at all.
While recently reading an article from Baekdal.com (a favorite blog of mine – check it out), I discovered a gem. Thomas, the author, was writing about an issue facing publications, editors and journalists. Near the end, he penned:
As Simon Sinek says, “do you believe in what you believe?” Do you believe in what the company you work for believes? Simon talks about the Golden Circle. It starts with ‘Why’, the purpose of the publication. ‘How’, the strategy of the publication. And the ‘What’, the actual work of the journalists (in that order).
Using that template, let’s talk about your vision and how it is or isn’t engineered into your company’s culture.
If anything, I wanted to reserve our name – so I created an account, did a little branding, followed a few people and then tweeted on occasion so our account didn’t look completely barren.
I was first introduced to the concept of disruptive advertising by marketing agency Richter 7, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They pride themselves in disrupting the status quo.
Several years ago, Richter 7 produced a commercial (which I could not find online anywhere) showing a dumpster in a back alley.
You can hear a baby crying, screaming even.