What Hannibal Lecter can teach you about marketing your brand

Hannibal Lecter: killer, cannibal . . . marketing guru?

Let me let you in on a little secret . . .

Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of my favorite marketing inspirations. You want to know why?

Because he says something in The Silence of the Lambs that I use for just about every problem-solving scenario.

“First principles, Clarice. Read Marcus Aurelius. For each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he [it] do . . . ?”

Simplicity. That’s what it’s all about.

You could be forgiven for not thinking that. There’s a lot of information out there, a lot of ways to make a whole lot out of nothing – or less than nothing. Websites, SEO, Facebook, Twitter, social media, viral marketing, guerilla marketing, permission-based marketing, personal marketing, niche marketing, kabuki marketing . . . and on and on and on.

Simple does not mean easy.

But it all goes back to simplicity. Sounds easy. It’s not. We have way too many choices these days. Come to think of it, choice is too strong a word. It gives the act too much meaning. Perhaps we should say too many options. Yes, that’s better. Red or blue shirt in a place where that doesn’t matter is an option. Red or blue shirt in a place where that means something is a choice. Get my drift?

Yet despite so many options, the core of all great marketing is simplicity – I’m not talking about ease.

One-word marketing

Think simple is easy? Try this: Describe everything you do with a single verb. For all you who paid attention in English class, that means no infinitives, no verb phrases, no conjugations. Just. One. Word.

Got a group of people around? Good. Try this one on for size: Describe everything you do with one unique verb – something that nobody else is using.

Still think simple means easy?

So I’ve got this word. Now what?

Use it. Make it the focus of all your marketing efforts. Every word, every image, everything you put into the world comes from that verb. It never has to see print. You never have to say it out loud – but you must never forget it. You can always branch out. You can always come up with related verbs for different audiences, products, and marketing campaigns. Yet you must always come back to that first one.

Keep it simple, keep it real.

What’s this mean in marketingese? Authenticity is hot.

And it’s easier to keep it real when you keep it simple. Don’t try for Hamlet with marketing – you’ll drive yourself as crazy as he was. And there’s only so much crazy people will tolerate.

A marketing campaign from a single word

What are some ways you can do the word to meet your goals? How do you see that word in action? Don’t limit yourself to how it’s used in business. Where do you see that happen in everyday life. Use your own experiences and observations. Just brainstorm for now.

Take some time to think about what you came up with. Do they hint at particular audiences or media? What words and images come to mind? Does anything connect with your goals? Mine your mind. Don’t gloss over it.

Simplicity supports adaptability. Adaptability means survival.

Animals suited to only one kind of environment don’t do well when the environment changes. Their traits are too exclusive – limiting what they eat, where they live, and how they reproduce.

They don’t make good house guests, but you’ve got to admire rats and cockroaches. They’re amazing creatures when you consider their origins and where they are today. If whatever killed the dinosaurs comes back, rats and roaches will make it.

In a word, what do they do? Survive. It doesn’t matter if they’re in a New York apartment or a tropical island. That’s what they’re going to do. Their strategy: eat anything, live anywhere, mate anyhow.

Now that you understand it, you can see the real importance of simplicity.

One word. Infinite possibilities.

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