Predictable Patterns Produce Memorable Marketing Mantras

This is a test.

What product, service, corporation, movement or campaign is associated with each of the following?

1. "It's morning again in America."
2. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
   
3. "What happens here, stays here."
   
4. "A little dab'll do ya."
   
5. "A chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage."
   
6. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
   
7. "Generations of Style."
   
8. "There is nothing wrong with your television set."
   
9. "Think small."
   
10. "Perfection has its price."

According to Steve Cone, these are "powerlines." Beyond mottos or slogans, these are word combinations that deliver "an electric surge, a current that charges the mind long after the initial message is received."

In his new book, Powerlines: Words that Sell Brands, Grip Fans and Sometimes Change History, Cone provides a fresh approach to creating promotional mechanisms that will set your company's message above the rest.

Cone says powerlines tell a compelling story, ring true and create a memorable "sound," meaning they evoke a particular emotion or experience as a result of their unique cadence, inflection, tone or pattern. In a world dominated by silent communication via e-mail or the Internet, Cone reminds us that the actual sound of the spoken powerline is often what makes it memorable.

Powerlines last because of the way our brains work. We cannot possibly remember and file everything we hear. So to survive, Cone says, we rely on patterns and sequences to help us with recall. He cites as one example recognizing the first few notes of a song we have not heard or sung for decades and immediately recalling the words. As you consider marketing for your business, it's wise to reflect on the ease with which our brains remember patterns and rely on predictability. Anything that will help our brains work in a more predictable pattern will be more memorable.

I love books like Powerlines, because the examples offer remarkable bits of trivia. For instance, I hadn't realized that Franklin Roosevelt's famous powerline about Dec. 7, 1941, was originally written "a date which will live in world history." Wisely, FDR changed the line to "a date which will live in infamy." It worked because it told the story, it rang true and the word "infamy" carries with it the sound of that most audacious and horrific attack by the Japanese.

In marketing products and services, Cone says strong powerlines have six characteristics. They:

• Convey a genuine truth or depict an experience—real or imaginary.
  
• Are built to last and should rarely, if ever, be changed.
  
• Convey a benefit, show how they will improve our lives, recommend an action or offer some other satisfaction.
  
• Are made more memorable if they can be set to music or made to rhyme.
  
• Should be made to move on the screen on television or online.
  
• Should be a prominent touch point with the consumer, i.e., large and pervasive throughout the campaign.

Cone calls good powerlines "the voice of the brand." One example he cites is Fed Ex's "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." Another might be "When you care enough to send the very best." That line is absolutely synonymous with Hallmark cards. Or Nike's "Just do it." We don't even have to see the logo "swoosh" to know it's Nike.

Cone advises never to use ordinary words. Think "world history" versus "infamy" in 1941. Worlds of difference. Put the powerline everywhere—in print ads, on television, on radio spots, on your Web site. Be bold, be audacious, be pervasive. And, he adds, a great powerline never has to be changed. You may update appearance, you may update design, but never change the powerline.

Powerlines is a great read. It's entertaining, full of valuable information and terrific examples, and offers solid advice that you can truly implement. There are lots of great marketing books out there. This one, as Pepsi would say, "Hits the spot."

Oh, and the answers?

1. Ronald Reagan's 1984 presidential campaign
   
2. The 1930s and 1940s radio mystery, The Shadow
   
3. Las Vegas, coined in 2004
   
4. Brylcreem
   
5. Herbert Hoover's 1928 presidential campaign
   
6. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's 1940 address to the House of Commons
   
7. Brooks Brothers clothier
   
8. 1960s science fiction television series, The Outer Limits
   
9. Volkswagen, 1959
   
10. Stella Artois beer

How did you do?

This story was featured in the October 2008 newsletter