Story Hooks for Largemouth Bass
By Jonathan Kranz
As I was packing for my family’s return trip after Thanksgiving, I flipped through the channels on the hotel TV and settled on something I’d never watch at home: a bass-fishing contest.
Now, I don’t fish, and the only thing I could possibly find more boring than bass fishing itself would be a bass-fishing contest. Imagine, if you will, lingering shots of middle-age men with beer-built bodies jiggling fishing line in still water, with the occasional payoff shot of – what else? – a hapless fish writhing through the air and onto the deck of a shallow boat.
And yet…I found it strangely compelling. In reflection, I realized that the challenges faced by the producers of that show are similar to those faced by us marketers: how do we generate interest in something that lacks inherent excitement?
Here’s what we can learn our bass-filming friends:
Define personalities
I’m sorry, but what with the ball caps, goatees and beer bellies, all bass fishermen (at least on TV) look alike to me. The producers helped me out by giving each contestant a “hook,” some easily-remembered characteristic that distinguished each angler. One guy was famous for using a frog lure; in mental shorthand, he became “The Frog Man.” Another was known for working the shallow waters: “The Grass Guy.” Still another was a previous champion looking for one more shot at glory, “The Comeback Kid.” These little handles made it easier for me to follow the action – and made the contest personal.
Business application: If you offer a bewildering array of products or services, you need to create simple phrases that distinguish each item for your customers. Imagine, for example, a set of Web services designed for different consumer and business segments: “Friends and Family Web Hosting,” “Small Business Storefront,” and “Cross-functional Enterprise Integrator.”
Establish conflicts
Those of you familiar with my speaking gigs have heard me define “danger” as the second “D” in “3D storytelling.” Danger, also known as a conflict, challenge or obstacle, is the necessary second ingredient (desire is the first) to any story. In the bass-fishing contest, “man versus fish” gets old fast. But the producers escalated the drama by creating secondary conflicts for each of the contestants: Was The Frog Man, for example, just a one-trick pony, or could he parlay his defining technique into a winning strategy? Could The Grass Guy prove himself in deep water? And was The Comeback Kid an old-timer who was just kidding himself?
Business application: Use danger or conflict to build drama and set your product or service in bold (and favorable) relief. Example: “Traditionally, disability insurance has been too expensive for most freelancers to obtain…” or “Statistics show that one out of every ten homes may have dangerous levels of carbon monoxide gas…”
Articulate the stakes
Conflict is good, but to be engaging, it needs a “so what,” a reason why the potential outcomes matter – in another words, stakes. For the bass show, what did the contest mean (or at least, what did the producers say it meant) for each of the competitors? The Frog Man had to prove that there was more to him than a gimmick. The Grass Guy had suffered a string of losses and needed to post a victory to remain a contender in competitive bass-fishing. And The Comeback Kid wanted to demonstrate to the world – and perhaps to himself – that he was a player who wasn’t past his prime. These stakes were essential to the quality of the show. By articulating them, the producers made each thud of bass against boat deck resonate with meaning.
Business application: Why does your product or service matter? Why is it essential to your prospects – and what risks are they exposed to if they don’t accept your offer? Example: “Businesses that apply TrackMaster to their website realize an average 23% greater customer conversion rate – a significant boost in a crowded marketplace.”
Get off your “bass”
If television producers can bring suspense to bass fishing, certainly you can add dramatic interest to your products or services. Give them personalities. Establish conflicts. And most importantly, set the stakes. That’s how you tell stories that reel in new customers – which is whole lot better than bemoaning the ones that got away.
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Kranz Communications
(781) 620-1154
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