Want an excuse to ditch work early, pour a glass of whisky, and put on some vintage Texas Chainsaw Massacre or another great movie?
Keep reading.
There’s a good reason why horror movies can help you level up your marketing…
It has to do with a common tactic in movies called the “cold open.”
In horror movies, it’s the scene five or ten minutes into the movie, where the bad guy does something bad to an innocent group of people that we never see again.
The cold open exists for a reason
It tells you what you should be afraid of.
Once the tone has been set, an otherwise-happy scene of a group of friends fills you with apprehension – because you know what might happen.
Here’s why that matters in marketing
Just like in horror movies, the cold open works like magic in marketing.
It goes something like this:
- Introduce a scary problem to your potential customers.
- Hold that tension while you run through your standard messaging.
- Wrap up the pitch with your solution – the solution that solves the scary problem.
Marketers often fall into the trap of talking a lot about their own product, while neglecting to connect with their customers’ fears on any level.
That actually does a disservice to your customers, who want you to relate to their fears and worries.
Note: Don’t create fears that don’t exist or use cheap scare tactics. But also, don’t be afraid to scare your customers a little.
You’ll prove you understand them – and you might sell a lot of stuff.
