Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Bulletproof Persuasion

The more we’re exposed to advertising, the more jaded we become. That’s why I try as hard as I can to some way to prove vague product claims.

Whoever developed the advertising concept for LifeLock deserves an award (and a big fat raise, of course) as this is a strong example of the effectiveness of providing compelling proof of performance. 

LifeLock is an identity protection service. For $10 a month, the company monitors your credit file and takes appropriate action if someone else tries to use your identity. So how do you prove the effectiveness of a service like that?

I wonder if those involved in creating the LifeLock campaign were inspired by the story of Richard Davis. He founded a company that developed one of the first all-Kevlar bulletproof vests.

To convince police officials that these vests were effective, Mr. Davis would stand behind his product … literally! During sales demonstrations, he’d put on his vest and then shoot himself with whatever firearm that police agency provided.

The LifeLock campaign that’s been running for the past few months isn’t nearly as dramatic, but it’s equally persuasive. In this campaign, Todd Davis, the CEO of LifeLock gives out his social security number to anyone and everyone within earshot.

The TV commercial opens with Todd’s social security number on the side of a huge truck.

Todd even hands out flyers on the street.

The message provides powerful proof of performance. If the CEO of the company doesn’t care if you know his name and social security number, then LifeLock must be very good at what it does.

And on top of that, there’s a $1 million guarantee. If you sign up for the service, LifeLock guarantees to pay all damages and hire professionals to restore your identity even if it costs up to $1 million. I doubt many claims would ever reach that level, but it’s still a compelling product benefit.

I know there’s a whole slew of companies that can monitor my credit file, but I can’t think of any of them offhand. Yet I’m sure to remember the guy who was shouting out his social security number to the entire world.

Okay, so maybe it’s not as impressive as shooting yourself in the torso, but this campaign still packs a lot of heat.

Posted by Richard Bloch

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