What do you want them to FEEL about you? 

When you’re trying to connect to an audience and convince them to try or buy, what matters more: love or respect? Much like human relationships, the answer probably hinges on what relationship you’re looking to have with your product. If you’re being courted by a smartphone, for example, creating respect is a necessary part of the messaging. Love and sex have certainly found their way into the marketing (thank you, Apple), but there’s no question that the goal here is an intimate, long-term commitment.

Your relationship with a Big Mac, on the other hand, is probably more of a lusty, impulsive, hate yourself in the morning kind of thing. Its not wrong—we’re only human after all—but we’re likely going to make ourselves feel better by calling it love. Heck, let’s put “love” right in the new tagline. Who doesn’t love love? But respect doesn’t really enter into this “come hither” conversation with the buyer.

When you’re shopping services (like print/web marketing firms), how you find a match still depends on what kind of relationship you want to have. Will you get picked up at a bar, seek a match online, or be introduced by a friend? (No offense to those who met their perfect spouses in bars, but you should admit you got lucky.) Decide who is worthy of a first date and what you want to learn on that date. And, of course, figure out how far you want to go if the date goes well. We on the other side of the table need to think this through too…When I’m really connecting with a potential client, I can get pretty deep into ideas and sketches before the commitment. (But I’m a decent judge of character, so I usually respect myself in the morning.) A great first date leaves both parties wanting more, in a good way.

if one night stands with various marketing people have you feeling like you have nothing solid to show for all the time and expensive meals, and you want to have a conversation about love and respect, call me. I’m listed.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.