DraftFCB is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, a world-wide leader in marketing. I’ve worked with them around leadership development and been delighted to lead workshops at their headquarters. They recently released a consumer research report: “The 6.5 Seconds that Matter” which revealed two important things:
- The consumer attends for only 6.5 seconds before accepting or rejecting the message delivered.
- Financial services messages scored the worst!
That’s powerful stuff! We have only 6.5 seconds to grab interest before the consumer disengages. Sadly, financial services is not making the grade. This industry was dead last in connecting with consumers. The report defines this connection as the “matters” moment. Messages have to communicate something that “matters” to the consumer. If it does not resonate with the consumer, the consumer decides that the message “doesn’t matter” and breaks contact.
Although, I am discouraged for my friends in financial services, I am not surprised. The research I conducted when writing The $14 Trillion Woman (and my personal experience) revealed this trend long before I discovered this report. It’s all about “contextual” marketing. The buyer needs to see the personal value whether it’s a TV, a car or an investment plan. What “matters” is being relevant to the client investor. Otherwise financial information is just more noise across the airwaves. We all know that the 24/7 media cycle and the explosion of venues (internet, Facebook, twitter, TV, radio, print etc…) generates a LOT of noise. You have to matter to stand out!
Fact for the Day:
The top adjectives that women used to describe financial services information were: Overwhelming, Complicated, Boring & Foreign
Tip of the Day:
Cut the Jargon! I am trained in Clinical Psychology. If I spoke psycho-jargon you would not understand. My messages would seem overwhelming, complicated, boring & foreign. Let me share an example. “I want to share with you the importance of developing a psychodynamic filial bond during infancy and the latent period in order to prevent the vicissitudes of psychic abandonment as a precursor to borderline personality disorder and other concomitant crises of attachment.” What?
Here is what I said in plain english: “Please love your child so they will grow up to be a happy balanced person”
Enough said!
