There aren’t many Buddy McNutty types in healthcare PR and healthcare IT marketing. Likewise, few business-to-business advertisers would choose to infuse a tradition of German engineering with bizarre-oriented street cred. There’s nothing wrong with VW’s “Unpimp Mein Auto” parody or using Buddy to make America’s PB&Js safe again. But b-to-b messaging must focus more on credibility than warm-fuzzies-by-association or loads of adrenaline-inducing hipsteria.
Going back to basics — to 350 B.C., in fact — Aristotle defined the three modes of persuasion: “the first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third on the proof, or apparent proof, provided by the words…” These are also known by their Greek-derived roots:
- Ethos, the appeal based on the authority, goodwill or integrity of the source
- Pathos, the appeal to the audience’s emotion
- Logos, the appeal based on intellect, reason and logic
In healthcare marketing, and b-to-b generally, logos reins. To appeal to the intellect, logos demands credible arguments. So how does one go about adding credibility? With these rhetorical and literary techniques, your memos, brochures, direct mail, or other written (or scripted) communications, will stand out for the right reasons:
- Say something you shouldn’t. Aristotle himself said it best: “The best way to counteract any exaggeration is the well-worn device by which the speaker puts in some criticism of himself; for then people feel it must be all right for him to talk thus, since he certainly knows what he is doing.” By conceding a point about an area of weakness or a past failing, for example, you can position your voice as one that’s reasonable and honest. You don’t have to admit your product is downright ugly. But self-deprecation can go a long way in a world of marketingspeak.
- Keep it real. Sometimes perfectly polished and seductively stylized prose comes off as contrived. When you’re attributing a quote, for example, consider writing it as if it were actually spoken. Few people utter “entrust” and “paramount” in the same breath. Likewise, mortal humans rarely speak in 38-word, epic sentences. On the other hand, when M*A*S*H’s Radar O’Reilly wrote a condolence letter, you knew it was authentic: “It is with real deep sadness that I must tell you of the death of your son. You can be very, very proud of Jerry…”
- Be specific. The company is gone, but their wonderful healthcare IT corporate boilerplate lives on. They claimed to deliver “practical technologies that integrate engineering excellence and product integrity with speed of implementation and ease of use. Our products and people help healthcare providers maximize their return in time, money and care.” Do what? It’s tempting to want to be all things to everybody, but readers want specifics. Credibility requires them.
- “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Learn from Hamlet. A message can overstate the case to the point of suspicion. When SunTrust bank says “Seeing beyond money,” it’s all about the money.
- Demonstrate discipline. Obviously, avoision of syntactical, spellig and grammatically errors is a must. But be sure also to think about the structure of longer written pieces. Your writing should follow some clear, recognizable outline. The five-part essay is a good one.
Whether you’re arguing for war or peace in the Ecclesia of ancient Greece or producing a sales brochure, you’re using some combination of ethos, pathos, and/or logos. While b-to-b messaging can certainly benefit from injections of creative capital, credibility is the job of both logos and logos.
