Most people do not want to see the struggle. Even fewer want to understand or can relate to the grind. Nope. They want the end product.
As Bernadette Jiwa eloquently put it in Marketing: A Love Story, “People almost never buy the process. They buy the result.”
Take GLP-1s as the most current example. And let me lead with this: I’m all for these drugs for the right population. For those who have struggled with their weight for much of their lives, I believe they can provide a valuable head start and I’ve seen positive results within my own circle.
What happens after the head start, and whether lasting habits follow, is ultimately up to the individual.
Ever considered why they’ve become such a talking point?
The struggle has largely been removed from the story. They just seem to work.
From a low-friction marketing perspective, that’s precisely what makes them so compelling and the perfect case study.
And let’s be clear, these companies aren’t exactly leading with the potential issues or serious side effects. Nope.
The narrative is the desired outcome, not the potential downside.
Again, not the process. The result.
Let’s embrace some sarcasm and look at a few more examples.
When’s the last time you saw an Invisalign ad featuring a paid actor with janky-ass teeth? Never. It’s always some happy go lucky person with a beautiful smile flying a kite or something.
How about those enticing Sandals Resort commercials? Notice how they never show the family MF’n their way through customs, with the kids acting like outright menaces every step of the way.
Nope. Just sand and smiles.
Now let me paint a masterpiece …
Could you imagine a Preparation H ad leading with progress pictures?
Not a chance.
Come to think of it, those hemorrhoid advertisements usually feature some freshly recovered butthole, with a pearly set of whites, flying a kite at some Sandals-like resort.
The point is …
People don’t buy the process. They buy the result.
People don’t buy who they are. They buy who they want to become.
Brandon Cullen
In search of life’s [im]perfect soundtrack ...
They still need to get the braces if they want the straight teeth (and improved confidence), though. Yes or no