Secret Desires
By: Tom Hutchison, Industry Strategist at Acxiom
Each of us possesses a façade that we present to the world. One that defines who we are in the context of society. We wear masks that conform to the expectations of other people. We limit ourselves to purposes that seem attainable. Yet, we also harbor secret desires, longings that we don’t admit to anyone. Perhaps there are things we covet, but never pursue because they seem out of reach. Furtive aspirations that we don’t speak of because we’re afraid they’ll appear trivial or foolish. We conceal private ambitions because we don’t think we deserve to achieve them. Everyone wants for something and planners who are able to identify those secret desires can create customer experiences that are fulfilling to people and effective for brands.
While we yearn for things that are unique and personal, it’s still possible to categorize our wants to make them easier to understand. This is especially true when dealing with an audience or persona instead of a single individual. The details may change from person to person, but understanding the gestalt of the collective wants can help create strategies to appeal to those secret desires.
For instance, possessions are common subjects of desire. Many people decry our materialistic nature, but it’s a fact that people want things. Owning a particular item can convey status, significance or some jes ne sais quoi that reflects our individual qualities. Someone who wants a Jaguar F-Type Convertible sees themselves differently from a person who prefers a Ford F-250 truck. Both are exceptional vehicles that carry a large price tag, so the general desire is consistent in both cases even if the details are different.
Other desires are harder to pin down because they have fewer physical manifestations. Many people want to achieve something grand, to become CEO or win an award that’s meaningful to them. Others want adventure, traveling to exotic places or participating in extraordinary events. People often want to belong, maybe to a group or a movement so they can share a connection. Many people crave a spiritual union with something that’s larger than them, a purpose, a higher power, a more evolved form of ourselves. Mostly, people want to feel special, recognized for our unique nature and valued for the traits that make us who we are.
We all want something we’ve never said out loud because we’re expected to be humble. We’re guarded with our desires because we’re afraid they’ll make us seem strange or superficial or irrational. Sometimes we don’t even express these wishes to ourselves because they feel too immense. But make no mistake, we all have them and the brand that connects to them has a real chance to develop a deep relationship.
When developing a persona or an audience, ask yourself “What is their secret desire?” If you don’t have an answer, it may be time for more research because no matter how hard we try hints about what we want deep down inside will leak from our behaviors. At an aggregate view, we can detect signals that start to reveal those enigmatic wants. The brands they follow on social media, the store locations they frequent, the items they add to their carts but never buy all highlight the things that are important to them. Those insights reveal the shapes of their secret desires and give us the chance to forge profound connections.
Tom Hutchison
Tom has been helping brands create and execute data-driven marketing strategies for more than twenty years. He has supported many leading brands while working for Acxiom and Ogilvy. At the WPP, he was a member of the Data Alliance where he learned about the creative processes of dozens of different agencies. He's always thinking about how the art of creativity and the science of data come together to create engaging strategies.
