A Loyal Reader writes:
“Recently you said a newspaper can’t motivate consumers to buy. What about a beautiful picture of a meal, for instance, with a caption ‘two main courses for the price of one’? Might that make their mouths start watering and motivate them?”
A beautiful picture of a meal might remind me of something I enjoy. But if the enjoyment of that kind of food is not already within my realm of experience, it won’t remind me and it won’t make me desire it, either.
For example…
That’s a picture of pasteis de nata, a delicacy created by a pastry chef at Lisbon’s Pasteis de Belem bakery in 1837.
Does it make your mouth water? Not if you’ve never eaten one before.
A few years ago I spoke at a radio event in Lisbon and then stayed on to present some programming seminars for Portugal’s national radio stations (RDP).
I was introduced to pasteis de nata when I found two awaiting me as a welcome gift in my hotel room.
I discovered more in the hotel’s Executive Lounge.
I thought they were really good…
…until I went to the Pasteis de Belem and had one fresh out of the oven. Astonishingly delectable.
Before I’d first encountered pasteis de nata, that photograph would have had no effect on me.
But after I’d experienced it, the picture has me salivating.
If you’re ever in Lisbon, trust me: Go to the Pasteis de Belem and try it for yourself.
If perchance one person reading this plans to visit Lisbon for the first time soon, my description might motivate you to try a pasteis de nata.
On the other hand, if you’d never tasted or even heard of it, a photograph in a newspaper wouldn’t whet your appetite or make you want to visit the Belem section of Lisbon to try one.
But in a radio commercial, you can do exactly what I’ve done here: Speak directly to the listener in a personal, human manner…And make the listener think, “Hmmm…Sounds good! I’d like to try one.”
At its best, radio advertising is a trusted friend or advisor, whispering in your ear.
“Try the pasteis de nata…..Try the pasteis de nata…..Try the pasteis de nata….”
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The mind creates a far more powerful “image” that print or video because that “image” is connected to experience and experience is a powerful motivator.
I’ve tried to explain this to radio sales people a million times.
If I say, “Remember Mom’s delicious apple pie?” If you love apple pie, your mind creates your favorite version- fresh from the oven, cooled to just the right temp, a la mode? or with cheese? Plain? Your mind makes it whatever you want it to be. Print or video has to chose what to tell you you’ll like…maybe you will, maybe you won’t…but the mind knows just which one is best.