My wife has officially lost her mind. She just sent me this picture the hygienist took with her phone while she’s in the dental chair (seriously … I just got the picture via email):
Sharon’s been kind of dental-phobic for years and she’s doing some pretty serious work this week. Apparently she talked the dentist into letting her bring the dog in for comfort. (I swear by this particular dentist by the way)
Now the thing is, there’s a VERY VERY STRONG EMOTIONAL MARKETING LESSON in this post for pay per click marketers. But it’s not obvious.
Can you guess what it is?
Leave me your COMMENTS below … I’ll post the answer tomorrow!
(I’d also be interested in everyone’s best CAPTION for the picture)
{ 77 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Glenn,
Lesson- we look for security as one of our main motivators. In this case it was the dog there to comfort her fears of the pain of the dental work.
Do I win a prize?
Hope it’s not too painful Sharon.
Howard Tiano
P.S. Glenn, at least she didn’t drag YOU along!
Beats me… Been looking at this pic. for 15 minutes trying to come up with a strong emotional marketing message.
Ummmm. Could it be that people seek comfort in familiar things when they’re in distress. The dog looks a bit perplexed though.
I was curious enough to click the link… maybe exposing vounerability by being nervous about dentists and wanting to have a puppy next to you, I think I can relate to that
As usual Glenn, you want people think, explore, understand. Not just giving the formula/solution. I think that small and unusual “extra” helped your wife to do what she is doing. To go to the doctor and to the “treatment” she was so afraid off. So the message ” Find that “extra” that stopping your potentional customer to become your real customer … and deliver it”
Thanks Glenn
Strong emotional message = Glenn certainly married up!
Rod
It’s not the photo – its the Subject line…”Emotional marketing wife loses mind” All husbands can relate to that statement and emotionally connect with it because they think they are the only one who experiences it.
it’s just like the airplane chairs they have for kids at some hair salons; except you bring your own airplane chair… or dog
nobody wants to be sold to. or taught marketing to. but call your wife crazy and i’ll stop to hear what you have to say. then show me a picture of a pretty girl with a cute dog sitting in a torture chamber and i will take off another second. tell me she is threatened by a dentist everyone hates and i’ll spend another second expecting blood. now that i’ve stopped three seconds… you can ask me a question. after i’ve invested my question i probably will be looking for your answer.
all this just to get me to listen to one of your sentences.
Confidence, belonging and happiness are emotions you can use in PPC ads which are present in Sharon’s photo.
The fact that you’re asking the reader to guess gets them involved and forces them to study your message and think about it. Leading with a newspaper or Enquirer-type headline makes the pull even stronger.
She’s taking a risk and doing something that will evoke the emotions of her audience. It’s very personal and intimate. the dentist, the dog, etc.
Some people may hate dogs or think it’s unprofessional to post a picture of the dog. others might LOVE it. it can be polarizing and in that regard it’s an emotional risk. It will bond the part of the audience that likes this to her and you two in a stronger way. And ultimately that’s the segment of the market you want to target as your more engaged and active customers anyway.
The Lesson for Us Marketers:
People will go through a lot (both physical & emotional) for a result they really want … the question … how do we create/frame our products/offers so that they really want it.
(hint: its not the background color, button size, etc … those are only multipliers)
Whose having the treatment, Sharon or the dog? .. just kidding.
Hmm, The dentist, the wife, and the dog. It’s nice that the dentist allows the Sharon to be as comfortable as possible.
I’d suggest that the message for marketers (of all sorts, not just online) is: Make your pitch to suit the emotional state of your target prospects. For example, this dentist can pitch the extra stress relief he provides.
And a further lesson I take from it is to include the prospect’s emotional states (before and after) explicitly in my business design. This dentist seems to have done so, whether deliberately or not.
Caption for picture suggestion –>
“I have the hardest time getting my dog into the dentist for a teeth cleaning!”
Hi Glen,
I would suggest that it’s an endorsement and testimonial for the dentist supported by the fact that Sharon is emotionally sedated (smiling) and your comment about him.
Best Regards,
Tim
afraid of the dentist, no problem bring womans best friend in with you.
is she trying to tell you that she needs her hair done and the dogs is better. so you better get your wallet out and pay for it now
I’d say the message is; dental-phobic? genuine care and comfort for our patients assured.
Caption:
Doggie is thinking; If my master would have one of my dentabone treats once a week she wouldn’t have to here in the first place.
My caption suggestion – “What has she gotten me into this time?” but I like Sunny’s caption better.
…I think she just emphasizes the strength of her healthy love for self –
who else could convince, persuade, and succed in bringing a dog to see a dentist
Glenn,
There may be more than one lesson here, but I think it has to do with you saying “Apparently she talked the dentist into letting her bring the dog in for comfort.”
She is emotional about dentistry. That emotion is fear. Fear of pain, fear of the unexpected, fear of less than a stellar outcome, etc. – fear!
Fearful people are typically NOT terribly self-conscious (or logical). Rather, they are intensely solution focused. Which is why a highly intelligent, grown woman like Sharon would essentially quid pro quo with her dentist (who then flagrantly violated all infection control protocols), so that she could be allowed an emotional buffer (the dog) from the “perception” of an expectation of future pain.
So, I guess what I’m getting at is, people will go to incredible lengths – even at the risk of serious embarrassment, breaking the rules, etc. – to avoid pain.
The ironic part is, unless that dog has some hidden powers unbeknownst to us (like an empath on Star Trek), poochy won’t be able to mitigate one iota of pain from her experience…
Ok, that’s my two cents. Looking forward to your answer,
Russ
Glenn,
I think Sharon’s benefit is improved comfort, security, and perceived love and support from an unfailingly dependable source.
Must be a North American thing – the only thing I (a Brit) noticed was that it’s out of focus.
Hmm…
Anyone have the feeling that Glen’s not really sure what the message is, so he’s asking us?
Yeah, me neither.
Personally, I like Howard’s answer; fear is huge, and if you can reduce it…
But then again, there is no real reduction in fear; she still needs to go through the buzzing and drilling….
So maybe the message is that you don’t have to be like everyone else? You can go outside the box (or in this case, into the dentist’s office with the dog)?
Not sure that’s very emotional, though, so let’s try again….
…why is the dog frowning?
Okay, never mind about that.
I think the emotional message might be about taking care of others. When you have kids – or pets around, you tend to act like a caregiver, and therefore show less pain, less weakness…perhaps the whole idea is to put people in a place where they feel like they’re in charge, and therefore can’t display the fear normally associated with whatever product you sell…
Or maybe it’s more like the blankie (sp?) – that thing kids carry around for comfort. Give people something to latch onto in your advertising, and they will.
Of course, if the dog were to one day need dental care, this would be a great way to model for him.
Gosh! Wish I payed more attention to that audio about emotional marketing the other day!
PS – can’t think of a good caption. May come back later & post if I think of one.
Emotional Marketing Wife Loses Mind – Finds Relief?
Curiosity and empathy all condensed into 5 words and 35 ch – brilliant – shame it’s a tad too long for an adwords title though
Still – gotta click that link! Just like Rich Shefren’s recent post – My Wife Caught With Her Pants Down
BTW Glenn – Sharon might find my ‘hot off the press’ website useful – shows how to overcome phobias – maybe in minutes.
Caption? – It’s a Shih Tzu sorta day.
mmmmm….. by allowing Sharon to bring her dog, the dentist has his customer. We need to know what it takes for our customers to complete a call to action; and make it as comforting as possible.
Hope this makes sense and I may have gone on a different tangent.
Kind regards
Manish
the emotional marketing message……..
people have strong emotions and we, as marketers, don’t often cater to their emotions. Here the dentist listened to his patient/customer/prospect and allowed her to determine what she needed so that she would choose to go through with the procedure(sale).
He understood her anxieties/fears and somehow elicited from her what she would want to go through with the dental work.
He, like you, did his marketing research – he questioned/surveyed the customer.
Dr. Grams
The ‘emotional marketing lesson’ is not in the picture – it’s in the post, and it is using a variation of “How Smart Are You?” to get responses. DOH! And I just fell for it!
The dentist is now the nicest guy in town. He made the client happy by allowing the dog along. the dog is happy to get out of the house. and the reader-viewer- says this for the same price as when it is painful. I am in! The husband’s comments mean nothing to the “person” reading this considering an appointment.
By the way, tell the dentist he should hire a nail tech to take care of both the lady and the dog.
Marvin
Strong emotion and empathy towards the fear of the unknown, once you start on this journey or action there is no knowing the end result. You therefore place your future ambitions into the hands of a perceived expert.
Hi Glen,
What I gathered in terms of Adwords is that this picture effectively displays the dentist’s USP or unique selling proposition! What other dentist in the world would allow their client to bring in their dog for comfort while getting dental work done?!?! It’s undoubtable a very unique selling proposition. That’s the ticket to adwords – find your USP and you win the market! Thanks for the post! Great lesson!
Oops that should have read “Undoubtably” a unique selling proposition!! LOL – type once…read twice…then hit submit!!
Hi, I think the message is maybe, if you give a girl a cute dog to hold, she’ll do almost anything. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my mentor, Todd from Scrubs, for teaching me everything he knows about women.
Best caption? Of course it could be that your good lady is saying “get me out of the dentists chair or I kill your dog”? That would be a powerful emotional message.
I hope she has a pain free time as possible and gets better soon.
And that should read “put up with almost anything”
We have a dog that looks just like that. She’s so, so cute, but she occasionally bites. if our dog were sitting there with Sharon, it’s the dentist who should be afraid.
People want reassurance that everything is going to be “okay”.
They want that emotional “feel good” feeling that nothing bad will happen if they purchase from you. They want what you have . . . .they object because they want you (the marketer) to tell or show them that everything will be okay. On a subconscious level, their emotional need has to be fulfilled. We, as consumers, buy emotional and rationalize the purchase later with the logical.
You go a lot of comments because your call to action was so non-threatening.
I agree with Jennifer. The dentist’s USP of allowing dogs into his office is awesome.
Possibly a focus on that which we love is stronger than than which we fear?
Looking forward to the answer:-)
Rosemary
The answer has already been revealed. To summarize:
1. Headline draws in the reader.
2. Strong emotion about the dental phobia.
3. Dentist actually allows patient to bring dog – kudo’s for the dentist – gains new prospect trust almost instantly.
My caption suggestion (which most have even failed to do
)
“Dentist allows woman to bring dog for comfort during dental procedure.”
Have a Great Day!
Dental-phobic?
Bring Your Dog In For Comfort.
Compassionate Dentist. Act Fast!
Hey Glen,
this is interesting.
I goggled “dental phobic” and there is only one ad for that. May be because there is only about 9000 searches for it.
Kind of interesting.
Hmmm, I smell somthing here. Gold mine to explore?
Find out what the customer needs (wants) and help them to get it or experience it.
“Woman accompanies nervous dog to doggie dental visit”
Connect with that “need for emotional security” that people have.
Picture does it well.
It,s appealing to mothers.
Have you, ever noticed how mothers in a situation they are not comfortable with,will invariably comfort their children, to ease their own anxieties?
Caption– Tell me to open wide,and I,ll swallow your face,buddie!!
The subtle, but powerful message is how this very special dentist goes out of the way to support his/her patients be comfortable. It’s a message that this dentist “understands the problem that some people have with dentists,” and he/she is dedicated to creatively solve the problem for his patients.
Several people said the same thing in different verbiage!
EYE MAGNET PHOTO- very compelling. So is your dog.
well if i can take a crack at it, it’s the feeling of safety that the dentist allows Dr. Sharon to bring her dog with her..?? Hmmm Please tell us Dr. Glenn! Take care, keep up the good work!
For Pay Per Click I would use this for my ad.
Head Line: My Wife Has Lost Her…
Description line 1: Mind!______Are You A Dental-Phobic?
Description line 2: See The Smile On Her Face.
Display URL: Dental.com/Dog_Lovers
They have to read the ad before they see the picture in PPC.
Can’t wait to see your response.
The dentist probably in way that he/she has never even intended has managed to create a huge word of mouth campaign about their service to their customers. One that has been so effective because it touched Sharon emotionally due to her fear and also connected with her emotionally due to her dog. To the point where strangers all over the word are discussing it – I bet they would be interested in reading this post! And I bet most people in that area that were looking for a dentist would be very interested in this story.
The message could be: ” Every problem has a solution”
If your wife had a real problem with dentists, I would suggest her to try EFT (google it..). I am a psychologist too (and very skeptical) and I could help my son (8 years). It takes 15 min.! I´m not affiliate and there´s nothing to buy, but it really works with phobias and I am very thankful for your and your wife´s content-rich materials (both coaching and marketing)
@Tony: I believe that your observation has much more to do with your personality type than your geographic location.
The ‘customer’ (Sharon) wants to buy/commit, but wants to do it ‘her way.’
I liked Russ’ response.
Glen,
People LOVE pets! That’s the emotional part of this!
Plus the whole “pain-relief” thing.
Plus the smiling face on your lovely wife!
There’s ALL KINDS OF EMOTIONAL STUFF GOING ON!!!
Matt Hegedus
It is a cute picture. What it is saying to me is what is a dog doing in a dentist’s office???
Dentists have about the toughest sell when it comes to actually partaking of the service. This certainly is a visual sell of the idea we will do just about anything to help you relax.
But, is that the context you describe. I think not.
Your pretty little wife sitting holding her dog in the dental office is a perfect example of the emotive power of a visual image showing companionship and support and love and the whole emotional novelette brought to everyone by their own happy experiences with dogs.
Second guess would be the calm image of everybody in the picture. Calm is an antidote for fear.
Hi Glenn,
Since you say the marketing method is in the post and not specifically the picture, I would guess that it’s the title of the post that works so well. “Emotional X” and “Loses Mind” both invoke curiosity, which leads to more clicks. There’s also the added recommendation of the dentist. While the post is about bringing a dog into the dentist office, the dentist recommendation is slipped in quite cleverly and immediately shows that you trust this dentist.
Of course I may be stating the obvious and am in fact missing something deeper, but all good
Caption idea: Taking advantage of the 2 for 1 checkup special
The lesson is the complete emotional problem solving story – from you the amused, albeit, protective husband. Proving that you’re ‘emotional, dentist-phobic wife’ (afraid) is happy (glad, pampered, in control and feeling safe) in the dentist chair and evening having fun. You’re putting your stamp of approval on this dentist.
May the dentist’s name? I’m the same way. I may need to borrow the dog too. I don’t think my cat will put up with it
Caption: I hope she doesn’t take me to her waxing appointment.
the dentist got the sale by putting the customer in her comfort zone.
I think theres more intrest in the dog than the person?
It’s the PERSONAL! You got personal with your marketing… let us into YOUR life a little bit… Me, personally, I’ll sleep in the dentist chair
Now…I’m getting personal. Great work Glenn…as always.
BTW… we’ve learned … http://solomonstoolbox.com/law.php. It’s one of many we’ve used and do well with.
Wayne and Lori Sedlak
Personally I do not see the relation between the dog and the dentist, however I think in terms of business, the dentist was smart by allowing the dog to be the comforter by creating a comfort zone with the patient.
A targeted message “Do dogs need to go to the dentist? Why not, a friend in need, … is a friend indeed”
(By the way it would only be small dogs right?)
Its all about sharing who you are to relate to your audience. Share an intimate and “human or feared” moment and you’ll get your customers undivided attention.
“wife loses mind” is something lots of men find relevant.
“man think that wife loses mind” is probably something women can connect to.
It shows that when you believe in the strength of what you have got, you can use that kind of teasing humor.
When love is presence people can feel it
The dentist and the dog is too obvious
If you’re talking about the headline, it’s controversy and stereotypes.
People who hate seeing emotional. . . wife will click to discover what neanderthal has just posted.
People who are interested in marketing will click because they’re not used to seeing emotional and wife surrounding the word.
People who agree that all wives are emotional will click, too.
Why didn’t I say “Men who. . . . ” and “Women who. . . .”?
It’s because I’m so sick of either/or thinking. I clicked because I think both you and Sharon are pretty amazing marketers.
Cheers,
Mary
Caption: “I got this dog for my husband. I had to throw in a goldfish, but it was the best swap I ever made!”
Oh, come one, Moderator. I dare you!
sometime people need to be able to take their “comfort blankets” with them when venturing into those scary or unknown places
so instead of “get rid of all this in order to have this right now” it could be more transitional
Very funny. But great pic! Love it!
POR FAVOR Glenn,
Could you give me the name and address to that dentist?
I have fear of dentists like Sharon, so I’d like to book this dentist right away!!
Best Regards,
Thomas Feder,
Denmark
Dr. David Bloom, Salem, NH (USA)
I’m also a huge dental phobe! I would have also brought my dog in for comfort
I agree with what drew said:
“It’s not the photo – its the Subject line…”Emotional marketing wife loses mind” All husbands can relate to that statement and emotionally connect with it because they think they are the only one who experiences it.”
Lets just say some of can relate to that experience…lol
The trick is that Glenn got 250 (more or Less) replies from this powerful message.
Hi Glenn,
I think a lot of what was said above is on target…BUT…The Big Takeaway here is in the HEADLINE. Lets look at it:
Emotional Marketing Wife Loses Mind
What! An expert on Emotional Marketing loses it and has to take a dog with her how..Ironic! First, I love Sharons stuff! I have to pick her Iconicards sooooon. So, Glenn your genius is in showing that we ALL OPERATE ON EMOTIONS…EVEN EMOTIONAL MARKETING EXPERTS..:)
Russ from Montreal