by “You’re contradicting yourself.”
Anyone ever tell you that?
If so, I’m betting it wasn’t meant as a compliment…
It was probably used in an argument, as a way of pointing out something you were “doing wrong”.
(Dontcha just love it when folks do that?)
Well anyway, screw that person and that (possibly-hypothetical) encounter…
Because today you CAN take it as a compliment.
That’s right…
Today, I want to explain how in marketing, contradicting yourself – in fact, even “being a walking contradiction” – isn’t wrong at all.
On the contrary – pun intended – it’s actually a powerful asset.
It’s something you should embrace, because your customers and clients will love you for it – if you frame it right.
Here’s why…
Consider these highly successful contradictions:
Amazon is the shop where you can buy almost anything…
But it’s achieved its gargantuan success without an being actual ‘shop’ you can walk into and buy something from with cold cash (so far).
Brewdog describes itself as a “post-punk, apocalyptic, mucky-funster* of a craft brewery”, amongst other pronouncements of its own independence, revolutionary ‘punk’ attitude and authenticity…
Yet in 2016 it became the fastest-growing drinks producer in the UK, exported to over 50 countries, and now Brewdog bars serve its hop-heavy loopy-juice everywhere from São Paolo to Gothenburg.
* yes, I may have substituted a comical ‘for-TV-broadcast’ term here to keep things light
The meditation app Headspace draws on centuries-old techniques practiced by ancient cultures (and not-quite-ancient hippies, including your faithful correspondent) to “cultivate awareness and compassion so that we might better understand the mind”…
But its primary medium of delivery?
The smartphone – probably the most un-spiritual, awareness-defying symbol of modern society.
(I mean, how many times a day do people captivated by their portable ‘me-machines’ stumble blindly into each other on the street?
Ain’t nothing ‘zen’ or mindful about that, right?)
And yet…
Why their ‘wrong’ is their ‘right’
Each of these companies thrives on their contradictions – in fact, each one is a kind of paradox.
A what now?
A paradox, according to the OED, is “a person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities”.
And I don’t mean this critically either…
I’ve been a happy customer of all of those brands I mentioned at one time or another, and I admire what they’ve achieved.
(I haven’t always admired the ways a couple of them have achieved it, but that’s for another day…)
Thing is, we’re naturally attracted to paradox in people and brands…
It keeps things interesting for a start. Who wants predictability and common sense all the time?
Paradox is a big reason why we made popular icons of the likes of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe:
The tough yet sensitive outsider, uncomfortable with his sudden fame and ‘anti-hero’ status…
The beautiful ‘ditzy blonde’ who seemingly had it all, but off-screen was actually a troubled misfit with a deep intellect.
There’s always something fascinating about the result of two seemingly opposing forces or contrasting ideas colliding in one place.
And when these ‘opposites that attract’ are combined in a creative personality, that’s when the magic happens…
‘Full Blast Living’
The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about the 10 antithetical traits of ‘The Creative Personality’ – and how great ideas, groundbreaking work and breathtaking art often result from creative yet contradictory personalities.
As an entrepreneur or marketer, you may recognise yourself in one or two of his descriptions…
So you might be playful but disciplined…
…extroverted AND introverted at different times…
…humble yet proud…
…or passionate about your work but able to be extremely objective about it at the same time – probably the most useful paradoxical trait a creative can have.
Csikszentmihalyi calls creativity ‘full blast living’, which is an excellent way of summing up the creative paradox.
So, how should you use your contradictions to your advantage?
Well, whether it’s on your About page or throughout your sales copy, expressing a paradox of your brand or personality makes you more interesting, more authentic and more identifiable to your customers.
Above all, it’s an effective way to create a distinctive, memorable hook that lodges in your customers’ and prospects’ minds.
It comes back to principle of ‘Know, Like & Trust’…
If you want to attract, retain and delight customers, you need to be more than just a name on a page.
So if you’re a challenger brand or newcomer to your niche, highlighting your own paradoxes and contradictions allows you to inject more personality into your messaging so you stand out from the crowd.
Here’s how:
The most compelling paradoxes in marketing – the ones that attract repeat buyers and create fans – are more than just an afterthought…
They have to be more than just a ‘kooky’ fact or run-of-the-mill contradiction you’ve seen so often online…
(Oh look, a fitness expert who can’t resist chocolate? Big deal.
Tell ‘em to join the line over there with everyone else who has that cliche in their bio…)
Instead, dig deeper for something that’s important enough to be a part of your value proposition.
So if you’re a company, an effective paradox should be something that’s deeply entwined with your business’s ethos…
And if you’re an entrepreneur, coach or consultant, it’s a part of what makes you really YOU.
Startups and entrepreneurs can leverage this in their marketing to create interest around their own origin story – the all-important ‘Why’ that Simon Sinek encourages us to define for ourselves.
Your own paradoxes are evidence of why you’re unique, a desert island in an ocean of ‘same old same old’ competitors.
If you express them well, your paradoxes become memorable hooks you can build your brand around.
And the cool thing is:
They’re already there inside you, waiting just beneath the surface to be unearthed, rather than wrestled painfully into existence…
You already have the raw materials – as long as you have a personality.
And hey, you made it this far so I know you’ve got bags of that! ; )
Here’s an example that recently rocked my world:
The Highly Productive Lazy B*stard
I was knocked out by something John Carlton said in an email recently:
“I always knew I was basically a lazy bastard… but with a strong need to produce good work.”
“Holy crap”, I thought when I read that…
“I’m exactly the same.”
What a powerful contradiction, perfectly expressed – as you would expect from a grizzled yet open-minded veteran like Carlton.
(Seriously, if you’re not familiar with JC’s work, check out his archives some time.
Whatever biz you’re in, and whether you dig copywriting or not, there’s a (free) education and a lot of fun to be had there.)
This sort of paradox isn’t something you can just invent though. It’s not something you choose… it’s something that either applies to you or it doesn’t.
An effective paradox is divisive – and that’s good…
It should be like a flag you fly so your tribe can easily identify you.
If you’ve ever wondered what ‘authenticity’ has to do with marketing (it’s an often misinterpreted phrase), this is where it’s most effective.
So, be honest…
Admit to something about yourself that’s unusual, or that you’re a little uncomfortable with…
And most importantly:
Explain how it benefits your customer
Your paradox isn’t just another excuse to bang on about yourself or your product…
There must be something implicitly or explicitly stated about how this helps your audience do X better, faster, more often, or in a way that will enrage their parents.
For one more example, consider Snapchat.
The paradox at the heart of the app with the fugly yellow ghost-logo is that it offers users a way of communicating instantly with images and picture messages…
But crucially in a world of ‘digital footprints’ and social media backlash, those messages self-delete and don’t form part of an ‘idealized online identity’ like say, Facebook or Instagram.
Snapchat is personal, it’s fast, and it (aggressively) encourages user engagement…
In a world of decreasing attention spans and hyper-connectivity, its paradox is that despite its ‘newness’ and popularity with teens, it refocuses on the sort of one-to-one interactions we all desire, regardless of age.
For its core users, it’s less about broadcasting and more about connecting.
So, what’s a key paradox YOU can use in your messaging?
Maybe you work in a niche that’s dominated by a certain way of thinking, and you get results by ignoring what everyone else is doing, upsetting a few traditionalists and calling out the BS-merchants along the way.
Or maybe you help tech-savvy clients break free from the constraints of being ‘always-on’, but using software/apps to ensure they spend enough valuable time offline so they’re more productive when it counts.
Perhaps you’re an artistically inclined copywriter (ahem), but approach your work with an objective, craftsperson-like focus that puts your clients’ needs front and centre…
So you’re able to put artistic vanity aside and ‘kill your darlings’ when it comes to choosing the best option for the project.
Recently I’ve been exploring the idea of ‘Snapshot Copy’ as a way of connecting more deeply with your prospects with emotion-driven details and small moments…
A well-expressed paradox is a perfect example of an effective snapshot you can use to do that.
It’s something that rises up out of the messy bombardment of marketing we all encounter daily to lodge in your prospect’s mind, bringing your product or service into clearer focus.
It brings you closer to your goal of helping your customers and prospects understand the you behind your product or service…
To help them know, like & trust you – but in a way that makes clear why they need what you have to offer.
Over to you…
Now it’s time to put this to the test.
Think about 2 or 3 paradoxes in your own product or personality that are integral to what you do, that influence your work or benefit your customers.
Write them down, and look for something that’s distinctive…
…something unique, that couldn’t be applied to your biggest competitor…
…or something unusual, that people often remark on when you meet them in person.
Share your top choice in the comments below, or hit me up at pete@rockandrollcopy.com if you want me to take a look at your paradox, and see how we can use it in your marketing.
