Where's the gorilla?
There are a series of TV commercials running in the Detroit market. The commercials are for a local auto dealer. They are the typical used car commercials. A guy in a suit shouting out low payments on his used inventory. There is one other thing that makes the commercials unique. There is a person in a gorilla costume that lurks and darts behind the used cars. The commercials have become a game of “find the monkey”. Sounds like a great idea, right. The problem is that the commercials have done exactly what they’ve been designed to do, become a game of “find the monkey”. They have not become a game of “find a car”, which is what the commercials are supposed to be selling. The used cars and the salesman have become a distraction. The cars and the salesman are in the way of finding the monkey. I did a bit of an experiment with my son. The commercial came on and he immediately said “I just saw the gorilla”. We watched the entire commercial and when it was over I asked him some questions. What was the name of the dealer? What were some of the cars? He had no idea on any of the questions…but he found the monkey.
Where’s Waldo? Where’s Website?
The above commercial has become a game similar to Where’s Waldo. In our search for the elusive Waldo, all of the look-a-likes, candy canes and barber shop poles become a distraction to the task at hand; finding Waldo. With this information, it’s time to take a look at your website. What is on your website that is distracting visitors from getting your message and the information they seek? Do you have some cool animations that have nothing to do with your products or services? Is your website laid out in a way that distracts visitors from navigating to the information they seek. Has your product become Waldo?”
