Three deadly lies

Deep down we all know these aren’t true, but we can still catch ourselves believing them when it’s convenient. After all, if they were true, it would make our jobs a lot easier. Or, more likely, we would be out of a job.

1. If we build it, they will come.
2. If we build it, they will continue to come.
3. If they come, they will take action.

Many campaigns are unwittingly built on all three of these assumptions, on the part of the agency, the customer/sponsor, or both parties.

The underlying problem is quite simple: a myopic focus on what the customer/sponsor wants. What the customer wants (what is perceived as valuable to the customer) should only be front and center when the customer is also the audience for the project (e.g. an intranet). If we want “them” to come, we’d better deliver something that “they” want and continue to do so.

Once we agree to focus on value for the audience, there are two roads to take to determine the focus (the value and the audience).

1. Find an audience that values what the customer already provides
2. Discover what is valuable to the audience the customer already serves

Often the road to take is a combination of both, a re-alignment of value and audience.

Oddly enough, when we stop focusing on what the customer wants we can start serving the customer’s best interests.