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THE VALUE OF IMPERFECTION
Kausern Hieu, Country Manager of Nuffnang Malaysia
“It is perfect to be imperfect, because perfection is made up of many imperfections put together that makes it perfect.” – the late Yasmin Ahmad
Just recently, I was invited by my colleague to co-host a session with him on Clubhouse. We talked about the golden era of Hong Kong cinema and how it has shaped our lives. 30 minutes in, it was just the two of us ‘ber-syok sendiri’ with a handful of audience. It was starting to get stale until something magical happened at the 31st minute.
Two legit filmmakers dropped in and the session improved immensely from then on! They too were passionate about this topic. Within 30 minutes, my colleague and I learned so much from them we left the session feeling full. Thanks to their influence, I was ‘sold’ a list of older HK movies which piqued my interest, plus an upcoming movie which I am now looking forward to catching it.
In an unmoderated space like Clubhouse which was designed to allow imperfect and raw conversations, there was just something perfect about our 1 hour+ engagement. The whole experience felt authentic and transparent. (As a sidebar, click here to read how Brands can jump on Clubhouse)
What is Imperfection Marketing?
While it is relatively simple to win sales through promotions or bludgeoning our consumers into submission with non-stop ads, getting your target audience to truly believe and get behind your Brand requires a more sustainable approach.
This is where the value of imperfection marketing comes in. Marketers also call this authentic marketing. Any Brand which can connect genuinely to their target audience by showing their ‘human imperfection’ side will not only win more sales but gain loyalty.
Why consumers are open to imperfections?
These days, the ‘BS detectors’ on consumers (especially the younger ones) are stronger than ever thanks to fake news. Consumers are getting more discerning than ever and have less patience for any Brand which stretches the truth by being overly polished.
Just look at why TikTok exploded during the pandemic. It is because amateurs on that platform are being lauded for their flawed and unfiltered talents. Check out this study released by Nielsen which found that people go onto the TikTok platform because it uplifts their spirits and show the real value of authenticity in marketing.
In closing, the pipedream for us in this marketing and advertising business is to understand the strength of every major communication channel out there. This is so that we can connect a seamless story across these platforms to influence our target audience at various stages of their buying journey – from impressions to conversions to lifetime value.
But even if we fail to achieve this, it is okay. We are humans after all.
While our marketing initiatives should strive to be perfect in order to position our Brand in the best light, I believe it is forgivable to also show our audience our imperfections too once in a while, as long as we pick the right platforms to do so.
