Telemarketers, death, and Anna Nicole Smith

Question: How will your business deliver its message to an overstimulated public?

A funny thing happened last week to my friend Bob, the CEO of an industrial instrumentation
company. He gets a call from a guy on his cell phone who’s selling insurance. Bob barks "Take me off your list. I’m not interested," and hangs up. The man calls back immediately. Bob really lets him have it, tells him that this is his cell phone, it’s harrassment, and never to call back again.

Bob arrives at his office, and his administrative assistant tells him "Mr. Jones from the Insurance Company called, the one you hung up on. You were looking for a policy, and he was just returning your call from yesterday."

You see, Bob’s not a barbarian, he just receives no less than 30 calls a day at his office, looking to sell him credit services, telephone services, investment opportunities, copier toner, and all kinds of crap. He’s totally overstimulated and just gets rid of the nuisances as quick as possible.

I think this has a lot to do with the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith. Hear me out.

Below is a screen capture from Fox News’ homepage from this past week. (Click)

Now, for topics of national discourse we’ve got death, destruction, and the death and destruction of a sexpot. CNN’s TV coverage is no different. A tornado hit, people are dead, we get 8 hours of non-stop coverage. A buxom blond celebrity dies, and Wolf Blitzer practically has an aneurysm.

How are these things connected?

I think that between telemarketers, pop-up adds, beepers, cell phones, BlackBerrys, and tons of embedded advertising, the American brain has had it. We’re in a state of perpetual distraction, and the only thing media can do to keep our attention is to bluster on about the most basic fears and desires. Sex and death, sex and death, SEX AND DEATH!!! This public that is so overstimulated only responds to the most basic messages.

Now, looking toward the future, this too will lose impact. For you marketers and public relations professionals, how will you speak to this public in the future?

• Social Networking?
• Permission marketing?
• More advertising?

Plan for the attention arms race.

-Garland