PS AUDIO: Bad storytelling

Marketing a product is all about telling a story.  The story tells the customer what the product’s about, why he might need it and how it relates to the customer.

The story might focus on the company that makes the product or the product itself but in the end, the idea is to engage the reader and try and connect in such a way that the product or company is appealing enough to create interest.

Of course there’s always good storytelling as well as bad storytelling.  I think in our industry there’s a lot of both but many of the fringe products tell some really bad stories.

I remember the green pen on CD’s that became a product.  The RainX windshield waxer for CD’s that became a product.  The cable lifts that became a product.  All had stories associated with them and the stories were all attempts at explaining from a scientific perspective why they worked.  They were bad stories at best, inaccurate stories at the least.

It is important in our industry to get our stories straight and as accurate as possible.  If we don’t know why a product makes an improvement, it’s ok to say it.  ”I don’t understand what’s going on, but it sure works!”  Is that any less intriguing a story than some psuedo scientific BS?

Be straight and tell a good story we’ll all want to hear.