Seven Principles for Brands to Capture & Hold Attention
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Read time: 3 min
At a glance:
Quote: The value of attention
Lesson: How to capture & hold attention
Quote
"One of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone is the gift of attention"
Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn probably didn’t see it coming, but he predicted the attention economy. The value of our attention is being traded everyday and so if we were to master this economy, we have to master attention. Not just giving our attention intentionally but also the skill of capturing and hold the attention of our audiences.
Lesson
To influence anyone’s behavior, you have got to first capture and hold their attention. If not, your brand is invisible and will do no one any good.
I will share seven principles I learned from the book: Influencing Human Behavior by Harry Allen Overstreet and use The Dollar Shave Club ad as an example to illustrate each principle.
This ad has more than 28 million views on YouTube, it launched in 2012 and sky rocketed the brand into unicorn status, ultimately resulting in a $1Bn acquisition by Unilever four years later in 2016.
Learn and apply these key principles of attention for any brand
1/ MOVEMENT
Imagine if you had to hold your attention to a dot on the wall. It’s an impossible task, our eyes want to wander and if it does in fact stay focused on one spot, our brain is going to be put into hypnosis, or state of sleep.
Movement is paramount to holding attention, and if you’ve noticed, the scenes in the Dollar Shave Club ad is in motion the entire time. Whenever you ask “What is happening” or “What is going to happen?”, you’ve nailed this principle.
2/ KEEP THEM GUESSING
Unpredictability and drama is key. When the audience discovers it for themselves as opposed to being spoon fed and explained, they pay far more attention.
In the ad, they keep you guessing the whole time. What other crazy things will Mike say?
“Are the blades any good? No, our blades are f***ing great”
And what ridiculous scenes will appear?
Screenshot from Dollar Shave Club YouTube Channel
3/ LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE
The way in which we influence will determine who we influence. When we speak passionately, we arouse those with passion, when we proceed with cheerfulness, we get frank cheerfulness from those naturally cheerful.
I also call this the magic mirror. We need to show up as the person your target audience wish to become.
In this ad, Dollar Shave Club is clearly attracting those who have a sense of humor, not prude and see themselves as a rebel of sorts.
4/ LEAVE IT UP TO THEM
It’s infinitely more interesting if you ask a question than if you give a statement. Example in the book:
Let’s say there is a pamphlet on habit training for kids. Which is more attention grabbing?
“Does your child have temper tantrums?” vs. “Many children have temper tantrums”
“Does your child fuss about his food?” vs. Many children fuss about their food”
When you are asked a question, you are expected to reply. It leaves the answer to the audience and it engages them.
In the ad, Mike asked:
“Do you like spending twenty dollars on brand name razors? 19 of them go to Roger Federer”
This is infinitely more interesting than saying “The brands you buy today are too expensive”.
5/ INTRODUCE A CHALLENGE
When Gandhi flung a challenge to the British Empire, he became a figure of foremost interest in the world. If you want people to pay attention, throw up a challenge, but it needs to be fair and it needs to show sportsmanship.
Mike throws down a challenge to the status quo of paying for expensive razors.
“Do you think your razor needs a vibrating handle, a flashlight, a back scratcher and ten blades? Stop paying for shave tech you don’t need.”
And people paid attention. It rallied an entire market to rebel against big brands choose affordable convenience instead.
6/ NEW BUT FAMILIAR
We all know that introducing something new attracts attention, but what’s really important is that the new thing you are introducing, it needs a connection to what is familiar.
If an idea is introduced that seems like a complete overturn of the current perception and idea, you will turn people away instantly. The magic in the new never grows old, but be sure to sufficiently tie it back to the old to be at least interesting as well as acceptable.
The new business model of a subscription vs. buying each blade at a retail store wasn’t just thrown out there in the ad. It was introduced as money and time saving solution. Affordable blades shipped to your home.
7/ DON’T OVERWHELM
The mental limits of attention is real. When too many options are given, when too many elements are presented in a piece of art, the mind wonders, it shuts down and attention is lost.
With all the craziness going on in the ad, the key message is clear and presented as a slogan at the end of the commercial.
SHAVE TIME. SHAVE MONEY
Conclusion
Attention is critical to influence behavior. Apply the seven principles so you can best capture and hold the attention of your audiences.
P.S. - I’ve watched the ad probably 50 times. It’s just so good…
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