Metaphorical Mastery

Abhi
March 16, 2023

Hey there 👋 - Abhi here!

Happy Thursday to the 23,731 marketers reading today :)

Spent the last week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, enjoying the sun. Now I'm back to the cold but don't stress, cause I'm still bringing the heat.

Today we're going to cover:

the power of Metaphors
an example from The Beard Club

Reading Time = 3 minutes

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The Power Of Metaphors

More often than you'd expect, I read landing page copy that leaves me more confused than before. No idea what the product is or what it does.

It's times like these when I appreciate a sharp metaphor.

The benefit is three-fold:

Readers are more likely to remember your ad
Readers are more likely to remember your brand
The brand's benefits are a lot clearer

Here's an amazing example from my friend Joe over at The Beard Club. I found it while reading his amazing newsletter, Write On.

The change in results from Version A (left) to Version B (right):

33.51% uplift in click-through rate
35.61% uplift in conversion rate
70.89% uplift in revenue per email

And if that weren't enough, research also shows that people are 24% more likely to recognize parts of a metaphorical ad, relative to an ad with a boring description.

tl;dr Use the right metaphor and you can increase recognition and revenue.

But what does the right metaphor even mean?

Let me break that down for you...

3 Insights To Hit That Metaphorical Sweet Spot

1/ The "Aha" Moment

Too easy to understand and you'll forget. Too hard to dissect and you won't get it.

But to hit that "Aha" moment it needs to be just in between. Here's a powerful example:

The World Wildlife Fund compares our ecosystem to a game of Jenga - if one species is eliminated, it'll all come crashing down.

It isn't straightforward, but once you get it, it'll stick.

2/ Capturing Your Spirit

The slogan "Taste the Rainbow" was introduced in 1994, and it became one of the longest-running ad campaigns in history.

Not only is it a metaphor but it's one that brings a positive, meaningful association with it. Rainbows, being a symbol of positivity and beauty, is the ideal analogy for a candy brand.

So what's your ideal association? And how should we display it?

3/ The Supporting Text

Research shows that consumers experience a higher sense of pleasure and appreciation

when complex visual metaphors are supported with clear text messages
when moderately complex visual metaphors are supported by implicit text messages

If the visual metaphor is not complex, though, the type of verbal message is irrelevant.

For instance, I love this ad from Starbucks but maybe the text takes away from its impact:

It sounds counter-intuitive at first, but remember - you need to risk complete clarity so the viewers can reach that "aha" moment! That's what makes these ads stick.

That's all with the insights, now here's what I've been consuming this week...

Abhi's Picks

🔍 Turning boring research papers into marketing insights. That's Ariyh for you!

🔥 I spent last weekend roasting landing pages. Come for the insights, stay for the (attempted) banter ;)

✍️ My friend Joe, the one who shared his marketing experiment from above, is on fire. He put together 52 Copywriting Psychology Tips for us.

🧪 A Free 5-Day Email Course On All Things DTC Conversion Optimization

ICYMI, last week we analyzed Oreo's Secret to Diversification.

A Review From A Fellow Marketing Psychologist...

So what did you think of today's piece?

So what did you think of today's newsletter?

I appreciate all your feedback and read every comment.

I look forward to reading your feedback :)

See you next Thursday,

Abhishek "Shakespeare" Shah

My Spot of the Week: Been in airports throughout :(