Try the contrast principle to win over stakeholders

Did you watch the TV series Madmen?

Its hero, Don Draper, was based on the real life advertising legend Rosser Reeves. He created some of the world’s most iconic ads from 1940s to the 1980s.

One sunny afternoon Reeves and his colleague were in New York’s Central Park. On their way back to their Madison Avenue office, they came across a man begging for money.

He had a cardboard sign that read:

‘I AM BLIND.’

Only a few people had put coins in his cup. Reeves made a bet with his colleague that he could dramatically increase the amount of money being donated.

He pulled out a marker pen and added four words to the man’s sign.

Straight away people started dropping more coins into the cup. Some even pulled out dollar bills – it was quite the turnaround.

So which four words did Reeves add?

‘IT IS SPRINGTIME AND’

So the whole sign read: ‘IT IS SPRINGTIME AND I AM BLIND.’

Why did it work so well?

Well, it brilliantly used what Robert Cialdini (the godfather of influence) called ‘The Contrast Principle’.

This principle states that we understand something better when we see it compared to something else.

In this instance it highlighted to people that the man was missing out on the beautiful colours of nature in springtime. It made it real for them.

Another example:

If I told you that I was going to bring you, say, a big chocolate bar, you might get a small ripple of anticipation.

But if I told you I was going to bring you a bar of chocolate ‘bigger than your head’, well then you might be really excited (and possibly a bit nauseous too…)

And talking of chocolate, Reeves used The Contrast Principle to brilliant advantage in one of his ads: ‘M&Ms melt in your mouth, not in your hand.’

So if you’re trying to explain something or persuade someone, always remember the question: ‘Compared to what?’

Have a think about how you could use this principle in your work – I’ll share some ideas next week too.