#fridayforum

Marta Larock was our Friday Forum speak this week. I was excited to have an agency strategist come to speak with us because we often have creatives as forum speakers. While every speaker (well most) have something valuable to say, it is nice to hear someone in the field you are specifically going into. Marta's presentation was based on the concept of Unlearning behaviors we are generally taught in school and that the industry often teaches. I appreciated her taking us through the way McGarry Bowen operates on a strategic level. That is something we rarely get to see but often wonder about. Here is a summary of what Marta had to say about Unlearning behaviors. 

Unlearning

1. Unlearn Differentiation.

Relearn: Conviction  When you know what you believe you know how to behave.

Marta explained it as "differentiation doesn’t really exist unless there is product innovation." Even cities around the world are pretty much the same. There is a rise in people wanting small, boutique hotels. For the first time were hearing that people want to take risks when they travel. We are hearing this because you can visit a place virtually without ever stepping foot there. People want to see the unseen. So, while people want differentiation, a true unique selling point is rare. 

So, the goal at McGarry Bowen is to create icons of categories. McGarry Bowen is about story telling.

Example Marta used from McGarry Bowen: Disney Parks

Marta took us through the 3 stages of developing a strategy for clients. This included defining the main point and coming up with an antagonist. In the case of Disney Parks the main idea was "every moment at a Disney Park is magical" and the antagonist was "the mundane." As Marta said, "Every thing about Disney is magical. Every moment can be magical. Pancakes come with ears on them. Simple things like nuts and bolts come with ears on them." Nothing is ordinary, mundane, or typical. It is all magical and unique. Disney knows who they are, their beliefs and they embrace them fully. 

(The Disney Parks campaign is one of my favorites from McGarry Bowen. I believe the capture the feeling that Disney gives people, anyone from young girls to adult celebrities.) 

2. Unlearn Integration (Integration is messy.) 

Relearn: Cohesion. It’s about creating one story instead of creating pieces. One story makes the complex simple. 

McGarry Bowen uses chaptering to create cohesion of a story through different parts of a campaign. "It doesn't have to be matching luggage." 

The Example Marta Used: Miracle Whip

McGarry Bowen nailed what so many know to be true about Miracle Whip,  you either love it or hate it. Marta said that during this case they found that a large percentage of people who hate Miracle Whip have never actually tried it. I laughed to myself because I am definitely one of those people.  Marta said after finding this insight the goal of the campaign was to get those who hated Miracle Whip to try it. Marta walked us through 4 stages of their communication narrative to lead consumers to try Miracle Whip. The narrative started with reveal, went to breakthrough, amplify, and finally trying the product.

Marta then showed us the different parts of the campaign, showing that all parts didn’t exactly match but they went together. The first commercial that aired didn’t have the same feel as the PSA-like ad that followed or the Twitter campaign that ran during the Grammys, but they all had the same idea of giving Miracle Whip a try. It shed light that some people who hate miracle whip haven’t even tried it and called out people who were prejudging it (and some other things). They brought through the same idea in every aspect of the campaign but stayed away from making each part the exact same. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TbSQeNh0mE 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ6Qw4gTxLk 

3. Unlearn: Communication Relearn: Emotion Marta said “no one will remember what you say,” or something like that. There was also something about 20% of my memory being verbal. I can’t really remember, though. She also said you will remember what you feel. Emotions and feelings lead to actions.

Example from McGarry Bowen: Sharp 90" TV Reframe for Sharp: go from products that use electricity to products that make electricity.

Marta showed us a commercial for the Sharp 90” TV with crazy moments like jumping off clips and flying high speed down hill. As she showed it to us I felt like I was jumping off the cliff, which made me feel like I was going to throw up. However, it clicked as the commercial ended, I felt like I was there. I would remember watching that commercial because it showed me how I would feel watching the TV. I’ll remember feeling like I was going to throw up because watching someone jump off that cliff felt so real. I won’t remember what the last few words on the screen were but I'll remember the feeling I got from watching that ad on a 90" TV. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BCXeC4i4fU

(imagine if this was on your 90” TV and not you 13” computer screen)