Elton John was in town a couple of weeks ago, so my wife and I, of course, went to see him. How could we not? Sure, some of his stuff — especially the latest — is sappy. But, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Rocket Man,” and “Daniel”? Come on. He’s a legend.
I was impressed with his performance, but also with something else. After his opening number, he sat at his piano and said, “It’s great to be back in Des Moines … We haven’t been here since August 1973 at the Iowa State Fair. You haven’t seen us; we haven’t seen you. So we’re going to have a great time tonight.”
Now, did he actually remember being here in 1973? Probably not. But he at least did a little homework, even if just having someone remind him where he was and when he’d been here last. He even had the right pronunciation (“Dee Moyn” versus “Dez Moyns”). The crowd loved it. He made an effort to know his audience, and it helped make a strong first impression and lasting connection. Even if he’d bombed after that, we were all willing to cut him a break.
Coldplay did something similar when they were in town last summer. (That’s me enjoying their concert in the middle photo at right.) Lead singer Chris Martin thanked everyone for coming to see them, saying he realized it was the same night as the local wine festival. Again, he knew where he was, he knew about the town … he knew his audience. Instant connection.
We also saw Jackson Browne last fall. After his first song — of a solo, acoustic show — he said, “It’s great to be here in Davenport, Iowa.” Which would have been great, had he indeed been in Davenport and not Des Moines. Then he had the nerve to ask where he was. After the members of the audience began yelling, “Des Moines,” but then realized he wasn’t joking, the Civic Center fell relatively silent, and he never fully recovered. He even answered with a bad parody of one of his songs, saying, “Sorry … These towns all look the same.” Yep, right. No effort to know his audience. No connection. And then, when trying to recover, he was even more insulting. His show was probably okay, but it seemed worse. No break for him.
Was Jackson Browne the first performer to make this mistake? Of course not, especially in Des Moines. But it’s not that difficult to learn who you’re performing in front of, even if it’s on the fly. Elton John and Coldplay could do it. They simply made an effort, but it paid dividends. Browne didn’t, and people were more critical than he may have deserved for his overall performance.
Marketers are performers, too. We have an audience. They will either appreciate the product we’re putting on stage, or they won’t. But making an instant connection pays dividends. People will remember what Elton John said about the last time he was in Des Moines — a bonus over the fact that he even knew he was in Des Moines and how to pronounce it. People will remember what Coldplay said about appreciating us coming to see them and missing our wine festival. And people will remember that Jackson Browne didn’t seem to know or care who was buying his product.
Do you know who you’re performing in front of and who’s buying your product? If not, you better find out before you go on stage. If you do, you can make a connection and improve your reviews greatly. You might even get bonus points and a break for any future mistakes you make, should your performance weaken.
Don’t be Jackson Browne. Know the reach of your media channels. Make sure the creative is right for both the media and the audience. And deliver messaging and content that fits. Better yet, tailor it whenever possible. That’s the best route. Does it take more time? Sure. But the connection can be worth it.
I can also name performers I’ve seen who never even tried to connect. They didn’t risk saying the wrong thing or pronouncing anything wrong, so they made no impression at all from that standpoint. They came, they performed, and they left. Not as bad as Jackson Browne’s faux pas, but also not ideal.
Make the effort. Because, like towns, consumers may all “look the same.” … But they aren’t.
