"What if?" "Why not?"

Sometimes something happens that causes you to pause and think, "Have I done that lately?" Thanks to Dr. Terri Ann Bailey, an assistant professor at Florida Gulf Coast University and very smart woman, I had such a moment. As a recent guest speaker at PRSA, Dr. Bailey reminded us long-time pros that we sometimes become somewhat complacent and get caught in a rut of just doing what we do because we know it works. We get caught in the act of churning and doing instead of developing and creating. Yes, we know a press release will get coverage. We know what garners news and what is simply folly that won't get a second glance from a reporter. We know what messages work and what ones don't right? Maybe. But how can you be sure. That's one thing fresh-faced rookies bring to the field of marketing and public relations that us old farts sometimes forget. They come with a whole new (old) question.... "What if?" and the age old question, "Why not?"

We're all pretty savvy when it comes to identifying our target markets, right? Well, "What if" there is a whole different market that we're missing who could prove to be crucial to the success of our campaign? Dr. Baily offered up an example of one of her student groups who searched for target donor audiences for the Animal Refuge Center (ARC). The old stand-bys were easy to target: Animal lovers, animal owners, wealthy philanthropists who had a reputation for giving money to animal shelters, etc. But the kids didn't stop there. They dug deeper and looked at a philosophy to find another market. "Why not" target Pro-Life advocates. Know why? Because ARC is a NO KILL animal shelter. Hmmmm. Interesting.

Make a chart
Sometimes, inspiration can come from the very simplest, most basic practice. Make a chart. In that chart identify: Target Audiences/Key Messages for each target/Intended outcome or action/Appropriate channels.

When you create a chart like this, it forces you to write down and think about who you are trying to reach, what you want them to know, why they are important and how you plan to reach them. Then, the challenge is to expand on those things. Write the easy ones first. Then, go get a nice glass of wine (or an amazing Samual Adams beer - blackberry something or other - it's amazing! Just had one this weekend!) and look at the list again. Are there other potential targets, messages, etc. that may meet our objectives better? What if there's a big market that doesn't fall into a standard demographic? Why not target a group that hasn't been reached in the past?

I object!
That's where I have to bring in an old fart caveat. Unlike our dewy-skinned counterparts, we actually can answer the "Why not" question in very short order. The "Why not" could be because our budget is not unlimited and we have to reach the most lucrative markets before we hit the fringe. But I challenge all of those who are, shall we say nicely seasoned, to disallow the "Why not" answer to stop our flow of creativity.

"Why not?"
The potato industry said, "Why not" go against the anti-carb craze and introduce the Delicious Nutritious Potato? "Why not" get involved with the biggest heavy weight in the weight loss arena and get Weight Watchers International to endorse the healthy consumption of potatoes? "Why not?"

"What if?"
"What if" your best idea is still cooking in your mind and you just haven't unleashed it yet? "What if" you are so stuck in the day-to-day grind that the solution to a multi-million dollar problem is just sitting on your desk waiting for some repackaging? "What if" something you never thought of before is the answer to the problem you've worried about for weeks? "What if?"

Lou Holtz said, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got."

He was generally referring to complacency. I can see that in our profession, but not necessarily in a totally negative way. If we always follow the rules and do what we know, we'll probably get good results.

BUT "What if" what we've always done is think totally out of the box? Wouldn't we always get something completely unexpected and fresh? It's worth a try. "Why not?"

One more note for those professional wordsmiths who cringed at every quotated "Why not" and "What if." I know it's grammatically incorrect - I just did it for emphasis. "Why not?"