Somebody has stolen my shampoo. By @chloecordon
By Chloe Cordon
Somebody has stolen my shampoo.
I’m not sure who, or why, but someone has, and they must have had a reason. The bottle has just gone. It’s vanished straight into thin air, and I’m kinda pissed cause I really liked that shampoo. And now I’m left here thinking “what’s next to go, Chloe?” I’ve started counting the teabags left in the kitchen. I’m not giving your hair body and shine as well as feeding your caffeine habit. Honestly. But not only am I asking myself which of my possessions is next to disappear in a cloud of smoke. I want to know why my shampoo has been stolen.
I’m lacking insight. Did they run out of their own shampoo? Did they spill all of mine and hide the evidence? Was it revenge for that time I left my washing up overnight? Is their shampoo just not doing it for them and they wanted to trial a different brand? Did they like the colour of the bottle? Did the typeface used on the label really connect with them on a visceral level that brought out the caveman in them that THINKS IT’S OK TO STEAL? If so, well done L’Oreal. Did they see my voluminous, shiny, and healthy looking hair (lol) and decide “I’ma get me some of that”? Or was it the smell? I mean, it smelt quite nice. Kind of, shampooey. Clean. I can see why you’d want that.
The truth is I have no idea why someone has stolen my shampoo. I’m stumped. Why do people steal shampoo? Why do people do anything? I’m on the brink of descending into an existential crisis, because insight is such an important thing. Ok, maybe cracking the infamous case of the disappearing shampoo isn’t so important (I will find you, shampoo thief!) but understanding why people might not buy an electric car, or would walk straight past the waffles in a supermarket is. Because if I understand people’s behaviours, emotions, and reasoning, then I can appeal to that. I can nurture it, or try to change it. We can have an in-joke about those bloomin’ eco friendly types, or I can show them that waffles are actually ten times tastier than toast for breakfast. People are the most important thing in this industry, and although borderline impossible, it’s important to try to understand them. Sometimes it’s hard to remember you’re advertising to someone other than yourself, but by finding an insight about the person you’re talking to or the thing you’re selling, you’ll hopefully end up a little closer to a perfect solution.
In an ironically insightful masterclass last week we were advised to frame insights as
People ……………… . That’s why they ……………… .
Fine.
People can be t***s. That’s why they steal half-full shampoo bottles.
