Often, the best way to cut through the clutter and communicate a complicated concept is by using a very simple analogy. Over the years, I’ve explained cellular phones by using relay runners and demonstrated what makes molded rubber automotive gaskets effective by suggesting an easy experiment with a rubber band.
That technique works with ordinary consumers, and it’s just as effective with sophisticated professionals. In fact, because the professionals tend to be very busy, simple concepts can be even more effective.
When a southwestern Indiana radiology provider wanted to tell doctors what made its new spiral CT scanner more effective, they didn’t resort to a lengthy white paper or complicated descriptions of radio frequencies. Instead, aided by the Creative team at Ten Adams Marketing & Advertising and Scott Flood Writing, they sent those doctors a slinky. That’s right, the simple coiled toy that we all remember placing on the stairs to watch it descend again and again (until it ended up in an irreparable tangle).
Doctors received a mailing tube with a colorful label noting that the practice had added a new twist. When the tube was opened, a triangular brochure with mercifully brief copy awaited. As the doctor pulled the brochure out of the tub, he or she noticed that it was attached to a slinky that provided a remarkably simple explanation of what set this machine apart from ordinary CT scanners — the pattern of its scan.