Who’s controlling your image?

If it’s not you, it’s somebody else. Your choice.

As the super-injunction row rumbles on here in the UK, you could be forgiven for wondering why the celebs even bother. When an English court orders Calif0rnia-based Twitter to hand over the personal details of the injunction-busters, there’s a definite whiff of desperation. So why do it? Simple. They’re trying to control the message – and thus their image. Just not very successfully. But celebs – whose entire existence is often nothing more than smoke, mirrors and spin – know only too well that if they’re not in control of the message, somebody else is. That’s why they hire PR gurus to frame, explain and present their story in a way that shows them in the best light. Because when you’re a star, only the best will do, dahling.

Rolling, rolling, rolling

But it’s not just D-listers who manage the message – everybody does it. It’s what marketing is all about. It’s just that most marketers (not marketeers, by the way – that conjures up images of WW2 profiteers) do it with a bit more style and grace than the celebs. Think of a car. The safest, most family-friendly, eco-friendly, steady-Eddie car you can think of. Here’s a hint: even in brilliant sunshine, the headlights are burning bright. Just in case. Chances are you thought of a Swedish car. S for Swedish. S for safe. And V for Volvo. Even the name is pretty boring: it’s the first-person singular present indicative tense of ‘volvere’, the verb ‘to roll’ in Latin (yes, I’m showing off – but those four compulsory years of Latin at school most have some compensation). So boring, then. But not if you look at the latest S60 advert, now splashed across billboards, bus shelters and glossy mags. There’s more to life than being in cruise control, it daringly says. That’s why the Volvo S60 R-Design is here. Ooh. Can you feel the wind in your hair and the throb of the V6 (or V8 – as you can tell, I’m not a petrolhead)? Well yes. But most of the time, people are stopping and starting in suburban traffic, desperately trying to extricate themselves from the rush-hour snarl-up. And even when they do, they can’t throw caution to the wind, thanks to the ubiquitous speed cameras. But why let the facts get in the way of a great story?

Dare to be different

If you look at the S60 brochure, there are the obligatory sections on safety, pollution and customisation. And did I mention safety? But daringly, they confront head-on their boring, staid, no-nonsense Nordic image with a novel approach on the very first page. Sexy. Volvo. Same sentence. That’s the spirit. Different. Brave. Clever. They’re readily acknowledging that people have preconceptions about Volvo cars, much in the same way as Skoda did with its It’s a Skoda. Honest. campaign. Think you know Volvo? our friends in the north are are saying. Think again. They’re taking the initiative, setting the frame of the debate, and leading you down a certain path. Yes, they say all the EU-regulated, better-safe-than-sorry, mother-knows-best things that Volvo always says. But they’re leading with a mould-breaking, head-turning, hair-on-back-of-neck approach. They’re controlling their image.

Makeover. Takeover.

So who’s controlling yours? If it’s not you, it’s somebody else. So get out there, do if often, repeat yourself and hammer that message home. Take a leaf out the celebs’ book (well virtual book, as they probably don’t do much actual reading, let alone writing) and create the image you want for yourself. Because you know what’ll happen if you don’t. Find out more:

Best of both worlds. The safe and sexy Volvo S60.
Honest, guv. Skoda’s reverse psychology works marketing wonders (and is quickly subverted by cyberwags – scroll down to the last image in the post).

Kevin Communication, Ideas, Marketing.