On the weekend I watched 2 movies.
Different genres, filmed in different countries and set in different times. Coincidentally they both had the lead character kill off their girlfriend.
In the first movie, we saw how Roxy had transitioned from a shy girl to a successful woman. We followed her turbulent relationship with her partner; we lived and loved with her. Then saw in the last 5 minutes of the movie that he murdered Roxy in cold blood by drowning her. Roxy was finally going to leave him and if he couldn’t have her no one could.
In the second movie, the girlfriend didn’t even have a name. She was just ‘girlfriend.’ She was shot in the back of the head and left on the cold snow to die. The audience just moved on.
We followed the life of her partner throughout the movie and even felt sorry for him as he died in the last two minutes of the movie. He was trying to turn his life around and get out of a life of crime. He had been a killer, and we saw him murder many people.
The first movie even made me wonder if I would’ve watched it if I knew how the ending was going to be.
So what was the difference when the character in the first movie only killed one person and the second movie killed multiple people over many years?
As an audience, we didn’t feel the same disdain for the second character.
Why was that? Emotional investment changes the way we view things.
We had connected to Roxy; her death in the movie was so devastating to watch. It was like she was our friend.
We didn’t even know ‘girlfriend’ and had no connection with her. She was just collateral damage. All the other characters in the movie that were killed also only had labels – ‘bad guy,’ ‘thug,’ ‘buyer.’
How Do Customers See Your Business?
Are you creating an emotional response in your audience? Do they care about you and your business? Or do they see you as a cold brand that they have little or no interest in, apart from the product or service you provide?
Making sure that your customers have an emotional attachment to your business can create a category of 1. Competition becomes irrelevant because you are the only ONE in your customer’s eyes. When we are made to feel something, we are so much more likely to remember because we have that connection.
How do you ensure that your customers are emotionally invested?
Contact Cathy Smith at CATCO Enterprises for Bespoke Marketing Solutions in Bunbury, Rockingham, Mandurah and Perth.
CATCO Enterprises focuses on holistic marketing for businesses that want to make a positive impact with their marketing. Cathy’s genuine passion and knowledge for digital marketing has helped thousands of businesses reach their dream customers easily online. Good website design, social media management and tailored marketing solutions really make a difference.
Want to get more value out of your social media posting? Contact Cathy and have a chat.
