The McDonald's School

It's about engaging your right brain…

I've always hated quality and quantity claims in radio liners.

They're worse than mere boasting; they're almost always demonstrably untrue.

When PPM has made you examine every word your talent says, why would you still be running liners that make no effort to engage me emotionally, that are heard as lies IF they are heard at all?

As this article from Bloomberg Businessweek points out, almost every successful product for the past 50 years has relied more on emotional engagement and less on promises and boasts.

McDonalds was an early proponent of brand-building through emotional connection. Their ads have almost always shown their brand being used in situations connected to positive emotions, and their commitment to marketing has never wavered.

It's easy to see why they dominate the burger brand category.

Think about it for a second: How often have you seen a McDonalds TV spot bragging about having "the best fries," even though they might be able to substantiate that boast?

The point is, that claim might feel true for 99% of consumers, but the 1% is still a big number and once McDonald's makes the claim, the 1% have a vested interest in proving it wrong. In these days of social media and blogging, why risk it?

Research has shown that emotional arousal makes us more likely to share information, which explains why most viral YouTube videos are cute, funny, or touching -- rather than factoids about algebra or physics.

Watch this (and please excuse the low resolution): Best McDonalds Ad.

Listen to your station liners and sweepers.

Do they aim at my right brain, at my feelings -- or at my logical left brain, with facts and promises.

The best way to reach my ears is by aiming at my heart. Making me feel will make me believe.