This week I asked my Linkedin and X followers to try and identify what the above ad was advertising.
Take a few seconds - what do you think?
Would it surprise you that most people thought it was Bikes
Before I tell you the answer try this: Cover the image of the Bike and just read the words. Do you still think it's a Bike Company?
How about ignoring the words and looking at the image: The man is clearly distracted by something getting his attention.
The answer will be revealed at the end of today's issue.
Mental Imagery is how we make sense of the world around us.
Figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, is a powerful way to shape mental images. By comparing a concept to something more familiar, you can help readers better understand and comprehend abstract ideas.
We use metaphors all the time. They're so ingrained in our language we don't even notice we're doing it.
(Researchers found that on average, people use a metaphor every 20 words.)
Metaphors say “This abstract idea is this other easily-imaginable situation.”
For example:
Her eyes were diamonds on her face.
Life is a highway and I want to ride it all night long.
We were a fresh page on the desk, filling in the blanks as we go
A simile, on the other hand, uses “like” or “as” to connect the abstract idea and the situation that explains it.
For example:
He was as tall as a giraffe
Life is like a box of chocolates.
Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street!
Whereas A conceptual metaphor is a way of understanding one domain of experience in terms of another.
For example: We treat TIME as a valuable RESOURCE using terms such as ‘earned,’ ‘spent,’ ‘wasted", saved, or lost.
Or Money as Liquid, emphasizes the dynamic nature of money with terms like "fluid," "cash flow," it can be easily "drained" or "poured," and experience "droughts".
Question: Why do brands insist on comparing their customers to machines?
We write about Driving Traffic to our Websites, Boosting our Productivity, Accelerating our workforce, Supercharging our performance, unlocking our potential, optimising, elevating.....
A 2019 study by University of Arizona researcher Vicky Lai, looked at the different regions of the brain that are activated in metaphor comprehension. It showed how people who hear matching physical language and metaphorical language (e.g., “Grasp a hand” and “Grasp a concept”) activated the same motor perception and planning parts of their brain.
So when we hear a metaphor such as "she had a rough day," regions of our brain that associate with tactile experience are activated.
And if we hear, "she's so sweet," areas associated with taste are activated.
This is probably why when you read the word "Move" and saw a Bike, it strengthened your belief that the ad was promoting the concept of New Yorkers being more active on Bikes.
The challenge is to make sure we use the right words to create the right mental imagery.
If left unchecked certain words and phrasing can cause a disconnect in our marketing when the words we choose fail to align with the intended image, or worse, create the wrong image.
In the above example: referring to a celebrity chef as a content writer and an ad agency as a bra are comparisons that just don't go together!
How do we avoid using the wrong words in our B2B writing?
Analogies and Comparisons
Comparing an unfamiliar concept to something more familiar can help our readers visualize abstract concepts by grounding them in concrete imagery.
I once wrote copy for an online file organiser and compared the user's frustration of searching for files on messy desktops to finding a needle in a haystack.
A cybersecurity solution could be compared to a fortress to readers visualize strength and protection.
These types of imagery make it easier for your customers to understand what you are trying to say.
You can use it in your product descriptions.
Apple introduced their display screens as Liquid Retinas as a comparison to the clarity of our eyesight.
2. Emotional Resonance
Tap into readers' emotions by using language that elicits specific feelings.
For instance, instead of describing a customer pain as a "day-to-day challenge" try making it more visceral - think of "a smack in the face daily pain" that evokes a more dramatic and memorable image.
Note how Apple's Smile-Making picture-taking not only makes us smile but makes us feel we are having our picture taken.
3. Dynamic Verbs and Specific Nouns
By using verbs that convey a sense of movement, action, or change, you can transform your content from passive to engaging.
Replace weak or generic verbs, with dynamic more vibrant, action-oriented verbs that elicit specific emotions in your readers.
Words like "discover," "explore," or "embrace" can create positive associations and prompt readers to engage with your content, and stir feelings of excitement, motivation, or inspiration. For example, instead of saying "Our product is better than our Competitors," Apple chose to "blow" their competition out of the water.
4. Paint a Picture of Success
Use your words to paint a mental imagery to illustrate the positive outcomes your product or service can bring. For example: Describe the exact relief and satisfaction a business owner feels when your software solution streamlines their workflow.
You can even use your customers words in your copy.
And that's a wrap
Your words should reinforce the image you want your audience to picture and feel.
By carefully selecting words that convey action, evoke emotions, and create vivid imagery, you can craft compelling content that sticks in your audience's memory and drive action.
Take a look at the words you use in your content.
Now for the answer: Would you have ever guessed - OUTFRONT is a media ad space agency?
Did you find this issue helpful? If you want your team to find their own A-ha moments — Just forward this edition of Why Our Words Work! with an invitation to subscribe
For a deeper dive: In a study, two groups read a crime report and were then asked to suggest solutions to fix it. The reports were identical except for the metaphor used. In the first report, crime was described as a virus (e.g. ‘infecting the city’), while in the other it was described as a beast (e.g. ‘preying on the city’)
Although neither group noticed the metaphor, it had a significant impact on suggestions. The virus metaphor called for social reforms such as fixing the economy and improving education. On the other hand, those that had read the beast metaphor asked for tighter enforcement-based solutions for example: hiring more police officers and building more jails.
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