Normal ain't so bad

You know why Buffy the Vampire Slayer was such a great series? It wasn't Buffy's struggle to be special. Endowed with vampire-slaying skills and anointed the 'chosen one' she already was special. More than anything she was just struggling to be a normal teenager with normal problems. Heck, all she wanted was to go to Prom.

Alas she needed to save the world (granted we loved her because she saved the world in time to go to Prom).

You know why Lost was (past tense) such a good show? It wasn't because the people were special. The people were normal, the circumstances they needed to survive were special. In its quest to best itself, now the series is too complicated, just a mess (nearly a 20% drop in ratings prove this). All the special mysteries just further distance us from the characters. Unfortunate since the characters are the show's best part.

The Wizard of Oz headliners wanted seemingly normal things (to be smart, to have a heart, to muster some courage). Those ruby red slippers sure were special but the wish they granted was basic: not world power or unlimited wealth, just to get back to the simple pleasure of home.

Even Forrest Gump, a very simple guy, was so lovable because he was just so normal when it came to extraordinary events. He boiled the complex down to the simple--and that made him special.

Ask any of my single friends, what do they lament about most when it comes to the dating scene? They just want to meet a normal guy with no hangups (good luck in NYC ladies). What does the American flag most stand for? The simple pleasures of freedom.

I wonder, if in trying to make things special, superior and better we forget what people really want. I'm all for special; and people need to feel that way. But what they want most is pretty darn normal: a good experience and a product that delivers on its promises. I think as marketers living in our special-differentiated-new-and-improved world we can forget this. I've been guilty of it. Let's not discount normal, our audiences certainly don't.

Comments

[Cam Beck]

CK - Brilliant post. Though I never was a "Lost" watcher, I get what you're saying. Symbols are almost never as simple as we want them to represent -- and they represent different things to different people -- yet they still hold enormous power over us because of simple messages.

Likewise -- Good luck finding anyone ANYwhere without hangups. The trick is finding someone with hangups compatible with your own, which only makes it seem like the potential partner has no hangups.

As you say, the best marketing messages are those that deliver on simple promises. "Coke makes you happy." What's the comparable message in any other soft drink? The message isn't even necessarily true, but we eat (or drink) it up, don't we?

[Mack Collier]

People want to be special, but they relate to being normal. The Spiderman comics became so popular in the 70s because he was a normal college kid. He would spend the whole issue saving the city from the Green Goblin, then the issue would end with him swinging back to his apartment to discover an eviction notice waiting for him.

I think it's a great point, marketers too often try to deliver special, when all we want is normal.

[CK]

Cam: thanks much; yep "the real thing" that is Coke is why I remember Coke so fondly from my childhood--a simple, powerful message. My old boss used to say "simplistic elegance". I've been having software issues lately and all I want is for it to work (a simple request, eh?). But give me software with no hassles and dependability and I'm sold.

Mack: Great analogy on Spidey (love the eviction notice story). Yep, I'm going to remain mindful and memorable of just how powerful the attributes of simple and normal are.

[Tim Jackson]

Sometimes "simple" is magical. We lose sight of that in our quest to one-up the competition or each other. Our customers/ clients want us to deliver what we say we will- whether it is special or simple. Consumers, like me, just want to get through the experience with what they believe they are paying for... and without hassle or problems.

Just bought some new furniture from IKEA this morning and have been putting it together ALL DAY today. I got what I paid for, but the price is the assembly of a billion little screws... that's always the problem with their furniture. Am I upset? No, just remembering why I said I wouldn't get anymore furniture there the last time. Memory fades with age I guess...

Simple is good.

[Mark Goren]

This is where I always ran into trouble while working at agencies. My fellow creatives were always looking for special, while I felt very confident that consumers are only looking for normal.

What makes a consumer feel special isn't the same as what makes you feel special as a marketer. Putting ego aside, though, is the way to go when you want to make a connection to people.

Not an easy lesson for creatives to learn.

[Toby]

Great post CK. In looking at Dorothy's beautiful, sparkly, red slippers can't but think .. it was the unique that begot the simple. I think we need both. The execution is where the 'magic' comes into play. Red shoes to get home. Chocolates to understand life. Climbing buildings to save humanity!

[Gavin Heaton]

Nice Buffy reference CK!

You know, it reminds me of that whole reliance/need that we often have -- The Big Idea. Sometimes, we really don't need a big idea ... in fact, I prefer lots of small ideas. I like that we can go for the small idea that can fail fast -- that we can take what we learn and apply it afresh. It keeps us nimble.

And if we are armed with a wooden stake, then all we need is agility and a bit of determination.

[Lewis Green]

CK,

My nickname among my long-time friends was "weird bird." Now it's "old weird bird fart." And all I ever wanted was to be normal and fit in. Where did I go wrong?

[Michelle Mullen]

When they relaunched the Volkswagon Beetle there was a billboard that said:

0 to 60? Yes.

Those were great and very simple. It even made me laugh!

[Tammy Strnatka]

You're normal in my book Lewis. But that's not saying much cuz I'm weird...hmmm sounds like Cam's idea of finding similar hang-ups.

CK great post. I am often saying...I wish people could just be normal. Ego, ego, ego!