7 Keys to Marketing Genius: Visual Orientation
The following is an excerpt from The 7 Keys to Marketing Genius by Michael Daehn
How many times have you heard a friend say a movie was stupid, but you should see it anyway because the special effects were great? This is an example of looks being more important than content. There have been several movies that weren’t good movies, but had great special effects and therefore set box office records. On the other hand, there are great films that are not widely seen because they do not have enough visual appeal. I have a friend who will not watch black and white movies because he finds it too great of a distraction.
Society in general is becoming increasingly visually oriented. In their book 13th Gen, the authors Neil Howe and Bill Strauss describe how generation X (also known as 13th Gen) grew up with color televisions and video games and therefore seeks visual stimulation. Posterior generations like Generation Y continue to be enamored with the visual. Some have criticized the trend of form becoming more important than function and looks more important than content. While we may not think this is a positive direction, the implications are clear: to compete today, you must have the right look. It is not enough to have a good product; you must also be able to attract the attention of the audience. The look should enhance the image of the product while maintaining alignment with the mission (Key 2) and promoting the competitive advantages of the organization (Key 1).