The attraction of listening

Let's face it folks, there are a lot of words floating around out there - words, copy, content (for the on trend terminologists), posts, articles, encyclicals, theses, the list goes on. And on. And on. And on. Sometimes, I have to confess, I feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that hurtles my way - the reality of which has done wonders for my speed-reading and nothing for my sanity. What it flags up for me is the question,
does anyone have time to listen? I mean really listen any more - read at a comfortable pace, digest, consider, form and opinion or take appropriate action in response to the words and concepts placed before them.

I was reminded of the importance of this basic function of communication while working on a re-branding project for the Australian financial planning practice, Pinnacle Wealth Management (for recently launched fab website, click here).

The re-branding process, for any company, should be an intimate encounter, in which agents entrusted with the brand's evolution listen intently to the client for what is already known about the brand's relationship with the world. It's not about setting out, all guns blazing, with a brash leap referenced more to the prevailing zeitgeist than to the brand's DNA. No, it's about mining (listening) for the nuggets of gold from those who live and breathe the brand, day in and day out.

With Pinnacle, I almost missed this point, when told that 'the Pinnacle attraction' was a term that resonated powerfully with their target audience and would need to survive the rebranding cull. But what is the Pinnacle attraction? I enquired (a tad testily) not allowing myself to really listen. My mind was busily darting in a thousand directions, to mountaintops and peaks and the many different obvious concepts you must inevitably discard on the road to effective communication.

Luckily, they didn't let me away with it - 'the Pinnacle attraction' was non-negotiable, with the result that the entire campaign now revolves around both the intrigue of the question and the USPs found in the answer. Everyone's delighted with the outcome, and this refreshingly ethical, intelligent practice looks set to experience a quantum leap in their publicity. Up until now they have recruited new clients almost entirely by word of mouth - now that's what I call major attraction.