Frame it. (word-of-mouth made easy.)
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What’s your frame of reference?
People naturally compare any new thing they see to something familiar.
For example: After years of languishing on the fringes of obscurity, for example, Apple’s Mac computers have vaulted to new heights, with these comparison ads.
Seth Godin talks about this in the blog entry: “What does this remind you of?”
But don’t assume that Seth is suggesting you make incremental improvements.
While a buzzworthy product must be to understand, use, and explain…
A buzzworthy product must also be remarkable.
Now there’s a challenge.
Be different.
But have a familiar narrative.
Don’t tell me: “My product is like the [frame of reference], but with more X, better Y, and greater Z.”
(Yawn.)
Coke and Pepsi have beaten up on each other for years. With few gains made on either side.
Then Red Bull swooped into the market and created an entire new category.
Familiar doesn’t have to mean incremental.
If you’re creating something memorable, you’re not building in features that people ask for.
You’re 3 steps ahead of that phase.
You’re building in benefits that you anticipate people needing. Benefits they haven’t expressed yet.
Example: Walkman vs iPod. Bad frame of reference.
It’s why using a Walkman as a frame of reference for an iPod is inadequate.
A better frame of reference for an iPod would be… “a portable home theater for your ear drums.”
That’s because it’s not just music.
It’s virtually unlimited music.
Plus podcasts, audio books, and subscriptions to audio content you find appealing.
Oh. And plus recommendations of other audio content you may like.
The sky’s the limit.
Walkman?
Ha. Not even close.
Example: Ning.com vs Tree house. Good frame of reference.
The web site Ning.com is described as “creating your own Facebook”.
Is better than:
“Ning is a do-it-yourself social networking application builder, that allows you to create membership web sites. Ning provides rich features like personal profiles, blogs, discussion forums, video posting, what-you-see-is-what-you-get editing, and others.”
You want a frame of reference to things usually unrelated to your product category. So an even better frame of reference for Ning would be:
“Ning is like an instant virtual tree house. For your favorite people.”
So - provide a familiar frame of reference. But don’t use that as a reason to be “Like the competition, only better.” Be remarkable. But easy to relate to.
Better isn’t buzz-worthy.
Better doesn’t generate word-of-mouth.
Better is the new boring.
Instead, make your frame of reference an oxymoron.
And watch the whisper campaign about your product bloom.
Bolaji Oyejide is an online marketer and word of mouth maven. In his spare time, he explores how to generate passive income via blogging and affiliate marketing. Escape the Rat Race, and Find your Buried Cheese.
Follow me on Twitter…
Free Prize Inside:
“I’m a Mac… and I’m a PC” frame-of-reference commercials.
Remarkable, made easy.
Popularity: 43% [?]
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Tags: better, frame, ipod, oxymoron, reference, seth godin, walkman, WOM, word of mouth
