Product Mythology
Products, like brands, must have a handle for the consumer to grab. This product is the _____ product. If you can’t fill in that blank with a word or two, you’ll have a hard time getting anyone’s attention.
Sometimes, clients will tell me their product will be, basically, everything to everyone. But claiming such broad appeal dooms a product because there’s no story to tell consumers. It’s like mythology: products need short, easy-to-pass-down tales that characterize them fully. You can’t advertise yourself as being everything. You can be everything but you must lead with a simple story.In the end, there are really only three archetypal stories in product mythology:
- The product is better at something–it’s a star
- The product offers a new approach to something–it’s a genius
- The product stands for something–it’s a hero
This is a model I’ve been using for a while for clients, and it helps focus a product on its core differentiators, and requires that each attribute and feature be there for a clear reason that supports the story. It gives the product what it needs to build a relationship: a story and a handle for the consumer to grab.
I’ll write up each in turn over the next few weeks.
