Rock & Roll Marketing Lessons From The Who

See Me
……Feel Me
…………Touch Me
…………………Heal Me

• The place: London England
• The band: The Who
• The story: Tommy
• The year: 1969

In 1969, The Who released Tommy

The first rock opera. The story of a young deaf, dumb and blind boy named Tommy. It was banned by the BBC and several US radio stations because of its dark theme and references to religion, child abuse and drugs.

The album was a smash hit and the chorus “See Me, Feel Me, Touch, Me Heal Me” became part of our culture. Tommy was released to “My Generation” but continues to resonate with the generations that have followed me and my fellow baby boomers. When I saw The Who, chills ran up and down my spine. For me, it was not a concert but an emotional and almost spiritual experience.

Tommy was written by Pete Townsend, who poured his emotions and life story lives onto a sheet of paper and then expressed through his music. He and many other artists may say that they don’t write the music and songs, it just comes out of them. It’s as if they were simply storing something that HAD to be expressed through lyrics and music.

What does all this have to do with marketing?

When you’re writing ads, scripts, copy or sales letters, you want to connect emotionally with your prospect. Your prospect and client have a want or need and your product or service is what they will fill it for them.

See Me

It’s not about you. It’s about your prospect and their needs. You want to see them so you can be communicating with one person at a time.

Feel Me

You want to understand their needs so you can connect on an emotional level, one person at a time. Write to one person, not to “a niche.” A niche is not buying from you, a person is.

Touch Me

Use all the senses in your communications. Connect with your prospect. Reach out and touch them with your words and pictures.

Heal Me

Show how your product or service solves their problem and will heal the pain they have.

It’s a Boy Mrs. Walker, It’s a Boy

When you communicate to your prospects, do so in language and imagery that reaches out directly to you specific target market. Give them reasons why they will want to business with you.

There’s a Doctor I’ve Found Who Can Cure the Boy

Use testimonials and social proof to show your client that you are credible and your product does what you claim. If you are telling me I’m going to be healed or be able to live my dreams because of what you are offering, then prove it.

Go to the Mirror Boy

Before you put your message out to the world, read it aloud, show it to others and play it back to yourself. Does it make sense? Is your message clear? Are you talking about yourself or your prospect?

We’re not Gonna Take It!

Be emotional and use words carefully but don’t manipulate your prospect with a bunch of empty hype. Your words must ring true and your product must have the value and worth you claim it does. If you’re selling a dream and asking someone to part with their hard-earned money, then you owe it to them to be the real deal.

We Won’t Get Fooled Again (OK – Different album but a fit with my story)

In the age of the internet and social media, word gets around very quickly. If you are full of empty promises and hype, if you see others as money in your pocket instead of as individuals with lives, desires and needs you can fulfill, you will never connect and rarely have repeat business. You’ll be seen as an empty promise, forever doomed to the end of days wondering where your next customer is coming from. You may be living in Tommy’s Holiday Camp – but remember his disciples tore it down.

Tommy Can You Hear Me?

Great music and art are the emotions of an artist, often telling us epic tales with a few words or images that are forever burned into our psyche. The lesson of my story here is for you to take a moment to think of your marketing messages and materials. Are you moving your prospect using emotional triggers that connect, on a one-to-one level so they want to hear and listen to your message? Music, images, pictures, words all help you make the connection. Combined artistically, they are marketing gold.

Pinball Wizard… From afar you’ll see me, I’m a sensation…

Connect with your client. Provide phenomenal service and products and you can be the next marketing sensation, known near and far as someone we want to know and do business with. You’ll be the Pinball Wizard of your industry.

Long Live Rock!