You think you know everything about yourself. You go along happily with your assumptions until one day something snaps. You realize that Chinese food is not your favorite after all. Or that your hand eye coordination is not so bad, actually. People change over time, but so do impressions, including impressions of ourselves. Perhaps this is because many of our self impressions come from outside input. They are ingrained and we take them on as our own. We don’t question them. We walk around telling people our favorite color is blue because we once said that. When we were four. And it stuck. Messages are a powerful thing.
I’ve come to terms with a couple of surprising revelations about myself recently. I realized I am a homebody. I probably always have been. As a child I wanted every playdate to be at my house, on my turf. And I still prefer to do the entertaining. I get tense about travel. But I’ve always also been labeled a party girl and a wanderer. Surprise! Apparently I’m a homebody who likes to push her comfort zone. Equally surprising is the realization that I am an optimist. I’m easily upset by the world’s foibles, and always assumed this meant that I was a pessimist. I’ve even been accused of being a pessimist due to my many (usually short-lived!) rants. But I now believe the opposite is true. My disappointments stem from the fact that I continually expect the best of people and life, something I hope never changes. I get over it fast and go back to expecting the best. In other words – I’m an optimist! Great news!
Being a mystery wrapped up in a conundrum, inside of an enigma is part and parcel with the human condition. We constantly seek to define and redefine ourselves. This process should not, however, be a part of your product or service’s messaging. It’s difficult enough to embrace new messages about ourselves, even when the new message comes from within and we know ourselves well. Self examination comes naturally. Product message examination does not come naturally. It takes time and multiple exposures to embrace a new idea about a product. Constant mixed messages are the death of any marketing message or ad campaign, and likely to lead to complete rejection of the product for lack of understanding what it is really about. Consumers are faced with enough confusion and choices. Don’t expect them to decide your message for you.
If there is one thing I would advise people to do with their branding and marketing messages, it’s get the story straight, right from the start. It’s fine to have a surprising message, but not when the surprise is that you send mixed signals. Revel in your own complexity. But keep your professional story as simple and clear as possible.
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