My dad told me that when he was training to be an engineer he had to sit through lots of lectures in slide-show format about hydraulics, pneumatics and mechanics. These were important topics but also very dull, so sometimes people would bunk off.
However, one lecturer always had full attendance for his classes. He had found a way to keep groups of young men riveted (and because this was the 1960’s it was always groups of young men).
Every once in a while, at random intervals, he would insert something surprising into his slide carousel. Nobody knew when these pictures would turn up, or what exactly they would contain. But the combination of anticipation and the opportunity for a collective laugh ensured everyone paid attention.
Dad’s description of those engineering lectures reminds me of the thousands of highly specialised magazines and journals – online or offline - that cater to everyone from biochemist to insurers to surgeons. The information they contain is important and potentially lifesaving, but is often presented one-dimensionally. And ‘trade’ advertising tends to be wholly generic and predictable, defeating the objective of standing out and engaging the audience.
B2B branding and advertising for serious subjects and specialist audiences doesn’t have to be dull. There’s no justifiable reason for any brand in the world to spend more money on yet another picture of people in a meeting beneath a banal headline.
A bit of surprise and delight - as my dad’s lecturer knew - helps people to focus on the matter in hand and rewards their attention. Even engineers have a sense of humour.
Written by Simon Case
