Analogies – thinking outside the box
Product managers in animal health marketing are often faced with the following problem: Despite having produced extensive materials, they still fail to get their key message across to the target audience. Cleverly chosen analogies can remedy the situation.
We learn through making comparisons with what we know, and we pass on what we have learned in the same way. Analogies can be very straightforward, just bringing a simple fact to life. They can, however, also be used to explain more complex concepts by likening the underlying principle to something familiar from everyday experience.
Put simply, by employing an analogy, we approach a problem from a different angle. Of course, in doing so, it is vital to ensure the solution to a problem can always be clearly made out, i.e. the degree of abstraction must not be too great.
An example taken from nature:
Dandelion seeds are used to illustrate how a relatively heavy cargo can be transported either via the air or via the respiratory airflow.
Analogies are effective aids when it comes to conveying basic principles or key messages. The content that needs to be communicated often contains a huge quantity of detail. These details do have their place, but they can easily “knock the stuffing” out of someone who lacks the necessary basic knowledge. You would be well advised to first explain the unadorned principle of a concept and to ensure this has been understood. In a second step, you can then flesh out the newly acquired matrix of knowledge with useful details. The advantage of proceeding in this way: Each new detail will be seen in a larger context and will be correctly “filed away” in the minds of the target group.
So, why use an analogy?
An analogy …
- provides easy access to a complex subject
- can be combined with in-depth scientific mechanism of action (MoA) animations
- is suitable for an audience with little or no scientific background (stakeholders, investors etc.)
- supplies a memorable story for physicians to pass on to their clients
Why not use natural events or everyday occurrences and objects to illustrate the mode of action of your medication, in a way that is easy to understand?
For your information, please find below some samples from our portfolio. Perhaps they will inspire you to initiate a Visual Storytelling project of your own.
Cancerous vascular growth can be likened to a spreading crack in the windshield of a car.
If the cargo of a sailboat is not properly made fast in high winds, it will start to shift, causing the boat to list more and more. This process can be compared to the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain of a patient suffering from bipolar disorder.
If you have any questions or are planning a campaign of your own and would like our support, why not email us? We would be very happy to hear from you.
