August, 1897. The Inland Printer publishes an article by a certain “Musgrove,” in which the author discusses the laws of advertising.
The mysterious author is Elias St. Elmo Lewis, an advertising advocate who would go on to establish the AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) marketing model over the following years. AIDA was the precursor to the “sales funnel” that marketers still use.
When it was created, the sales funnel described the consumer process well – but the internet has changed things, argues marketing expert Andrew Davis.
Davis shows that having a world of information at our fingertips has changed buyer behaviors, requiring a fresh approach to marketing. He floats the idea that the classic sales funnel may no longer fulfill its purpose in the digital age.
He thinks marketing needs a rethink.
“We’re going to commit to being more skeptical. There are not enough skeptical CMOs in the world. I think we need some more.”
Who is Andrew Davis?
Andrew Davis is a world-class marketing expert, bestselling author, storyteller, and speaker. His out-of-the-box thinking and hilarious, high-energy communication style make him one of the top 25 favorite speakers in the world.
Entrepreneur, TV producer, and multiple marketing award recipient, Davis is “the real deal.” And he thinks the sales funnel is no longer relevant.
Time to find something new?
In this energizing keynote, Davis redefines digital-era marketing, shifting its focus from the funnel to inspiring people and creating deeper connections with the audience.
Key Lessons for Marketers
“We have airplanes now, people. We need to rethink the funnel.”
Davis sees marketing as a continuously evolving trade that must keep up with the shifts in consumer shopping habits and preferences.
Instead of a Ptolemaic view of the internet, with their websites at the center of the universe, he urges marketers to adopt a Galilean view. You are not at the center. You yearn for attention from the fringes. Here’s what you need to do to get it.
- Be skeptical. Davis encourages the audience to be “heretics” like Galilei and question the effectiveness of tried-and-true marketing methods.
- Focus on the consumer. To build meaningful connections with your audience, you must understand their aspirations, needs, and experiences.
- Create inspirational moments. Instead of looking to fulfill needs, focus on creating needs.
- Align with aspirations. People have dreams. When you cater to these aspirations, you can truly connect with them.
- Tell emotional stories. Evoke emotion through skilled storytelling. People respond to stories. The emotions stories induce prompt immediate action.
Key Communication Techniques
In addition to making his point about the obsolescence of the sales funnel, Andrew Davis delivers a masterpiece of effective communication in this keynote. His speech engages, inspires, and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats for 25 minutes. Here are some of the lessons for aspiring communicators:
1. Question norms
Question everything.
Questioning norms and challenging the status quo serves a double purpose. On the one hand, it facilitates innovative thinking. On the other hand, it creates an edginess that engages the audience, ensuring their emotional buy-in from the beginning.
Davis’s challenging of the marketing norms co-opts the audience, forcing listeners to pick sides and assume psychological ownership of his perspective.
“I want you to be a heretic.” he says. “I want you to ask yourself in the next marketing meeting if you’re being a Galileo or you’re being a Ptolemy.”
2. Focus on the Consumer
The old, funnel-based marketing thinking places the organization and its website in the center of the marketer’s universe. In Davis’ view, marketers must view their companies through the eyes of their would-be clients. From this perspective, their presence is nothing more than the pale blue dot of the online universe.
Moving from a company-centric approach to a customer-centric one provides a more objective and effective starting point for marketing efforts.
“We have to embrace a new model. We have to rethink the universe. And I’m not saying there’s one model.” ponders Davis, having painted a hectic and high-energy picture of a purchase process from the perspective of the would-be buyer.
3. Create Inspiration
Consumers often base their actions on spontaneous moments of inspiration. They spot something somewhere, sparking a memory of something else. One thing leads to another, and the unsuspecting browsers find themselves wanting to buy something they may not have known existed minutes ago.
Davis mentions IBM’s 2011 Watson Jeopardy! stunt as an example of creating an inspiring moment. The sight of a supercomputer displaying its Jeopardy! prowess inspired executives around the world to consider IBM’s leadership applications as a possible solution to their business problems.
4. Understand Dreams
Davis unveils his vision for the post-funnel marketing era one step at a time. To create moments of effective inspiration, marketers must understand the aspirations of their target audience. Once they do, they can align their communication with these aspirations, inspiring people to take action.
“You have to understand the hopes and ambitions of the people you serve,” he says. “What if your moment of inspiration is tied to your audience’s aspirations?” He ties the moment of inspiration of his speech to his audience’s marketing ambitions.
5. Inspire Action with Emotion
Emotional storytelling is the most effective way to engage audiences and prompt emotions that result in people taking action. In the television world, emotional storytelling is a staple communication technique.
“Emotion leads to action. Reason leads to conclusions. All that content you’re creating close to the moment of purchase is content that plays on reason.”
A Danish television show called Arvingerne (The Legacy) showcased the emotional drama of a family fighting over inheritance. As a result, thousands of Danes turned to lawyers and estate planners to avoid a similar situation.
Davis mentions Arvingerne as an example of how the television industry uses emotion to elicit a reaction and get viewers to watch.
“I want you to harness emotion. I want you to think like an entertainment executive.”
Andrew Davis’ caffeine-powered keynote speech harnesses the power of storytelling to lend emotional substance to his points. He uses the very techniques he analyzes to connect with his audience to great effect.
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