In the Eye of the Perceiver

In marketing, public relations, and advertising perception is everything. Suppose an advertiser uses a sweet Golden Retriver in order to illicit warm fuzzies for a product. And now suppose that the viewer watching the ad is grieving due to their own Golden Retriver being hit by a car.... this does NOT bring warm fuzzies but instead illicits a sadness that is now associated with the product being advertised.

My perception is that this dog is CUTE!

Communicating, rather it be from a marketer or a PR practitioner, is a risky buissiness. A person's perception is caused by all the events that have happened in a person's life. Communicating is a dance in which you sweep in and tip toe around. You have to be engaging without being overbearing, and interesting without being offensive. You never know when what you may say may strike a nerve and must always be ready to recover from these mishaps.

Some ways to avoid this is to KNOW who your talking to! Do your research to minimize the possibility of offending. You want to be peceived in the best light possible so even though you can not predict every bad topic, you can do your research and know what the client is interested in. If you falter in a conversation or hit a snag, a smile and an apology will do wonders. Always remember that you are talking to another human being!

While Golden Retrivers are usually a safe bet, the truth is that you will never know a person's life story and thus how and why they perveive a message the way they do. Be careful with your words because they are your trade.