Face facts

Radio host Richard Glover claims that the telegraph, invented around the mid eighteen hundreds, was mankind’s cleverest invention. It effectively starting the communications revolution we now live in. After the invention of the telegraph and Morse code, people could communicate across vast distances almost instantaneously. This had never been achieved before and was viewed as a modern miracle.

Jump forward 170 years.

We now have at our disposal dozens of different technologies to communicate instantly (Tesltra willing). And I love ‘em all. My Advertising business would simply not have got off the ground without email, FTPs, PDFs, mobile phones, skype, and all the other stuff we now take for granted.

And yet …

With all this neat stuff why does Barack Obama fly around the world to have a one hour cup of tea and a chat with our prime minister? Could there be a more difficult, costly and time consuming way to communicate? It’s as though the telegraph and all her grandchildren were never born.

It’s all about faces.

Clever technology can and obviously does pass communication back and forth like crazy. But it’s not enough. To really trust someone we have to meet them face to face. Yet again our cave man brain drives us. We much prefer to be in the room with the person we will be doing business with.

Often one initial visit is all it takes. Most of my briefs are taken face to face then everything after is by email. You are probably the same.

If we want people to trust our brand we often use a face (known or unknown) to present it. Could this be Brand Power’s secret? Who could distrust all those helpful, attractive ladies speaking directly to us?

It’s so obvious, but we often overlook the simple power of faces to earn the trust that is vital in building a brand or selling a message.

TIPS FOR MARKETERS

- Do you have a a reason NOT to show a person's face in your next communication?

If you have a creative advertising problem call Tony Richardson on (02) 9929 0588 or visit Tony Richardson Advertising

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