What marketing can learn from acting
Sean Penn recently won an Academy Award for best actor for his role as Harvey Milk in Milk. This is the same actor who launched his career as the infamous stoner Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Penn was brilliant in both roles because he disappeared and let the character enter the story.
The same thing happened with Jamie Foxx in Ray. There are points in the movie when you are not sure if you are watching Ray Charles or Jamie Foxx. The reward was the same: a best supporting actor Oscar.
Contrast this with movies where the actor is clearly miscast for the role. These films are a painful waste of 90 minutes of your life you’ll never get back.
The difference is authenticity. The actor adapts – language, inflections, mannerisms, dialect, etc. – to become the character in the story. He does not impose himself on the character. We believe his story.
Marketing can learn quite a bit from good acting. Today’s consumers are savvy. They appreciate and can spot authenticity. Likewise, they abhor people and brands trying to impose themselves on their worlds – into their stories.
How, then, do companies generate authenticity?
- Respect for and desire to learn the target community’s traditions, language, etc.
- Genuine care and concern for things that a target community cares about
- Desire to start small with knowledge that small roles will lead to much bigger opportunities in the future
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