Showing the Plug, Not the Cable

Why do so many companies selling cables show you this bird’s eye view

When what you really need is this view.

The customer’s main question is “will this fit.” Yet the answer provided in the content highlights the other 99% of the product.

When developing a script, photo, or video concept, it’s mistake that people are interested in the 99% of the product rather than the 1% which is the plug.  Showing a list of features when people want benefits. Telling facts when people want stories. Discussing screenshots when people want explanations.

It’s easy because it’s quick (cheap) for a studio to deliver a single video which shows the entire product, in a fancy package, while they themselves put more emphasis on the equipment they use than the results you want to generate.

It takes an attentive marketing team to understand your customer persona well enough to identify the question the customer needs answered. And to show it quickly.  Fancy won’t make it effective. Effective means to succeed where it counts. To show how your product fits into people’s lives. You want to show the plug, not the cable.

This post is largely inspired by the fantastic business design blog SignalvsNoise.