It’s the Man from Geneva

I am sure you have noticed the advertisements on the television and radio about the “Man from Geneva”. No, it’s Aviva, the parent corrects the child.

I am never sure whether it’s the annoying advertisements, like the man from Aviva and the dozen more that are successful, because, annoying as they are, they stick in your memory bank.

Sometimes, I talk to people about advertisements I love, e.g., most of the Guinness ones over the years. But I notice that the ads I love do not embed the product in my subconscious nearly as much as the “Man from Aviva” or old Mr. Brennan.

Coming up soon (apologies for the early mention of the C word) is that train advertisement and that sound that brings me back to my childhood.

What was the product?…

Read on …

“Stick on the kettle, love, and make a nice cup of Barry’s tea.”

It’s always Barry’s tea in our house, and yes, they have had some excellent and topical advertisements over the years. I’m sure many of you will recall some of them.

I’m speaking at an event shortly, and the title of my talk is;

“What have public speaking and Sat. Nav. got in common?”

The subtitle is:

“Create Sticky Messages”

When I told the person who invited me to speak to his group, the subtitle was utterly lost on him although it was as evident to me as night and day.

P.S. So was the title. Creating mystery and intrigue is always good!

Put simply, when you speak to a group, you want your message to stick in their minds long after they have left the room, for the right reasons. If it does, you are more likely to be a success; whether your purpose was to inform the mind, touch the heart or change the will, nothing will happen unless your message (sticks) resonates with them.

My previous sentence is a creative swipe from one of my favourite quotations from Abraham Lincoln

“There are three questions you must ask yourself when preparing a speech.

• Does it inform the mind?
• Does it touch the emotions?
• Does it change the will? “

Abraham Lincoln

In addition to this quotation being one of three reasons for making a speech, I would add the following. It should entertain.

The days of listening to memorised presentations are long gone.

Like bad advertisements, they/you can be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

My final thought is that you only get one opportunity to create a good FIRST impression.

By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie