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This weekend I thought of the old Trident Commercial for sugarless gum. Remember, how they kept saying, “4 out of 5 dentists recommended sugarless gum for their patients who chewed gum”.
For some reason that phrase has been stuck in my head all of these years. If you don’t remember this commercial, check it out now.
What if this commercial aired today would it be accepted as well as it was in the 1970’s? Can you imagine if social media would have been around in the 1970’s. I think the conversation on Twitter would focus on the following topics:
- The one doctor who did not recommend Trident for his patients.
- Is 4 out of 5, really a viable survey of dentists?
- Who were these dentists and where was the study conducted?
- Is there any video footage of interviews or tests ran?
- What does Sugarless Trident gum taste like? Is it safe?
I guess my point here is that the client has much more information at their disposal now than ever before. Companies can try and control the information going out like Trident did in the 1970’s, but then consumers start asking lots of questions. Today, transparency is here, companies need to make sure they are providing information that not only informs clients, but also educates them and more important gives them something to share with other people.
I like the Trident example, because it really shows where we have come from with respect to marketing and advertising. In some ways, the short concise message still resonates, but think if Trident actually expounded on the nature of their study and showed relevant information regarding the dentists who participated and what comments they made at the time. What if, Trident conducted a study today? Think of the buzz such a study today would make.
People are hungry for good information and if it is tied into the story of your company it’s even better. How could you take a piece of history from your company and start a discussion today? It might be something worth pursuing!
photo credit: DavePeckens via photopin cc
