From the time we learn to speak we seem to perennially ask the question “why?” Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why is the fire hot? Why was Bobby mean to me at the playground today? Why can’t I stay up and watch TV all night? Why did curiosity kill the cat? Why do I have to wear that or eat this or be polite to them or say that or avoid this or be ready then or blah blah blah blah? Why do some marketing campaigns work and some fall flat? Why do we have the urge to keep asking why? Oh, and why do I feel funny when I touch myself down there?
In Literature & Philosophy
“What, courage man! What though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.” The dumbed-down English translation of this William Shakespeare quote from his 1599 play titled Much Ado About Nothing is “Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.” Apparently Mr. Shakespeare wasn’t the first author credited with cats and curiosity as apparently British playwright Ben Johnson wrote “…Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman” in his 1598 play “Every Man In His Humour.” But the actual phrase “Curiosity killed the cat” didn’t appear until a 1916 headline in The Washington Post heralding a story about a fire set by a curious kitty in a 5th floor apartment.
Although the perils of curiosity have been written about since the late 1500’s, it is the basis of the human condition that drives the need to ask why. Since the dawn of man (and yes, woman and every permutation of humanity or gender reassignment in between), the human condition is such that we all search for purpose, are curious and thrive on new information. It was the existentialist psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom who identified what he refers to as the four “givens” or ultimate concerns of human existence – concerns with meaning, loneliness, freedom and mortality. So suffice it to say that at sometime “source” decided to hardwire our DNA with the innate need to ask why. So I invite you to “ask why” whenever strategizing the details of your next marketing campaign.
But Why?
Ever get into a discussion with a three year old? If you have, then you have already giggled to yourself as you remembered that time they asked “but why?” to every answer you gave them. Although it is a bit frustrating, it is also an example of child-like innocence trying to make sense of the world we all live in. I invite you to remember this stage of your life and revisit it constantly during all aspects of marketing (and business) planning. Ask why to everything and you may uncover not only the core of what makes a marketing campaign successful but some innate truths in your current existence which you may want to change.
Why Not?
“Theirs is not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die.” is the famous quote from Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and provides the other perspective on life as a marketer: to do and die without why. In my humble opinion this is the recipe for zombisim. Those who choose to go through life blindly doing what they do, day after day are tantamount to being the walking dead. I recognize this is a bit harsh and am purposely being a bit confrontational for personal reasons. I too have wasted too much budget just “doing” under the guise of my responsibility to “provide leads” and in the process somehow lost the focus of “value”. Why not ask why? The short answer is “only if you want to delude yourself”.
Why Now?
It’s never too late to change your approach to marketing. Before you decide to write something or do something or spend marketing budget, ask yourself why… why are you going to do that which you are going to do today? Most all markets are pretty noisy, so if you can’t answer why, then you should probably find something else to do. Likewise, question every priority on your list and if you find your are not getting to those truly important to you, then question why that is so and take the steps necessary to reverse that trend. I invite you to market consciously and always ask “why?”
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