Less is More (once again)

                            There's power in simplicity

One of the best marketing statements to ever be said was "less is more". Stated brilliantly by (a non-marketing professional) Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a pioneering architect of the modern movement whose intention with this statement was NOT to address the marketing world. As design meets business in today's market, though, it makes tons of sense.

The previous paragraph was part of one of my earlier posts this past January and I was reminded of it when I came across a post by Drew McLellan that spoke to the same sentiment. He used a great example of texting with his daughter to make his point. Thought I would share it with you. . .

The more important your message, the less you should say

by Drew McLellan

My daughter will be 16 next summer. Which means she sends a lot of text messages. It also means I send a lot of text messages. When in Rome...

One truth I have discovered is that even in that abbreviated medium, it's easy to be long-winded.

For every sentence I text, her retention and response gets shorter. The briefer I am, the more attention she pays and the more importance she seems to assign to my message.

If I really want an answer to a specific question or really want her to hear me about something, I use a single sentence. Then, I get her full attention.

Boy, is there a marketing lesson in that.

The more copy you use to deliver your messages...the less important they seem. The more messages you shove into a single ad, blog post or brochure -- the more likely your big message will be lost in the blur.

When it really matters....say less.

                                                                                                                             image courtesy of photo.net