Tell, Don’t Yell!

Have you noticed that it doesn’t matter what some marketers are trolling for, votes, cars or cat litter, a lot of people are yelling at us! The other morning on TV I heard Hillary yelling about her credentials in a gym full of voters, followed by NBC’s Al Roker yelling about the weather in my neck of the woods followed by a car dealer who was actually using a bull horn to sell his cars. Is yelling effective? Its like pressing harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are about shot. Of course not! In marketing to people over the age of 50 yelling is a complete waste of money, for several reasons. Women find it rude and inconsiderate. Men are yelled at at home so often they simply tune it out! ( I speak for myself!)

The reason there is so much yelling is the theory that yelling stands out and gets attention. In todays advertising clutter the feeling is that you have to grab and hold onto the potential customer. It’s easy to yell and far more difficult to write a commercial that grabs the attention of a customer. For example travel is big on the agenda of many 50 plus people. Whistle and yell or “May I tell you about a vacation that will last a lifetime?”

Is there ever a day when mattresses are not on sale? By the time people are thier 50’s they are in the market for a new one. With something that is synonymous with peace and quiet, why yell about the sale? Nor will the 50 plus market fall for that old line, “On sale today only!”

When your next ad campaign comes due think about that huge 50 plus market and “Don’t yell, Tell!”