Friday
Mar042011
Edgy is Relative
SteveI confess I was at a bit of a loss for a topic for this today’s post. The hubbub over TheLadders seems to have died down, so I ruled that out as a subject.
The Super Bowl is now a few weeks passed, and has already been covered elsewhere in the HR blogosphere by the HR version of Slim Shady himself, the great Kris Dunn, who shared his take on the key differences in the two ad spots that featured Eminem.
The Charlie Sheen meltdowns, while epic, already seem kind of tired as Chas. Sheen’s myriad media appearances have the effect of dulling the crazy to the point where the only thing he can do to attempt to remain interesting is to act even more bizarre, which is almost not possible at this point.
Back in the ‘real world’ of HR, recruiting, talent, etc. things seem to be in a bit of lull, in that down period after the holidays and end of the year, but before HR conference season really picks up, and with it the surge in energy, vendor announcements, and general excitement that seem to surround HR pros annual pilgrimages to Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, or wherever; in search of sponsored cocktail hours and juicy swag.
In fact, if it weren’t for TheLadders in the HR/Recruitment space, and the Super Bowl or Charlie Sheen for everyone else, I am not sure we would have anything at all to talk about, blog about, or otherwise debate as (for most of us in the USA), meander our way slowly through what has been a long, cold, harsh winter. Even the ongoing Labor Relations drama in Wisconsin seems to be already getting relegated to the back pages.
I kind of think many of us are more or less heads-down, slogging through the last part of the cold season, hoping to wake up from hibernation in time for the North Central East Southwest SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition.
The Super Bowl is now a few weeks passed, and has already been covered elsewhere in the HR blogosphere by the HR version of Slim Shady himself, the great Kris Dunn, who shared his take on the key differences in the two ad spots that featured Eminem.
The Charlie Sheen meltdowns, while epic, already seem kind of tired as Chas. Sheen’s myriad media appearances have the effect of dulling the crazy to the point where the only thing he can do to attempt to remain interesting is to act even more bizarre, which is almost not possible at this point.
Back in the ‘real world’ of HR, recruiting, talent, etc. things seem to be in a bit of lull, in that down period after the holidays and end of the year, but before HR conference season really picks up, and with it the surge in energy, vendor announcements, and general excitement that seem to surround HR pros annual pilgrimages to Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, or wherever; in search of sponsored cocktail hours and juicy swag.
In fact, if it weren’t for TheLadders in the HR/Recruitment space, and the Super Bowl or Charlie Sheen for everyone else, I am not sure we would have anything at all to talk about, blog about, or otherwise debate as (for most of us in the USA), meander our way slowly through what has been a long, cold, harsh winter. Even the ongoing Labor Relations drama in Wisconsin seems to be already getting relegated to the back pages.
I kind of think many of us are more or less heads-down, slogging through the last part of the cold season, hoping to wake up from hibernation in time for the North Central East Southwest SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition.
Good times. If you go score me new stress ball.
Then it hit me, anyone trying to get our attention this time of year figures they have to go for the provocative, the scandalous, or the edgy. Whether it is middle-age finance types cavorting around the office furniture in TheLadders ads, or Super Bowl commercials with people getting smacked in the head with Pepsi cans, the marketers, PR professionals, and Twitter celebrities have (probably rightly) concluded that the only way to get you to wake up and look away from your iPhone for two minutes is to go for the shock and awe. Edgy may be cool, but it comes with one huge problem - edgy is relative. Go for the edge and you immediately alienate that part of the audience that may not have given you much of a chance to begin with, but now for sure will not.
Edgy only has meaning when compared to your audience’s past experiences, what they have seen, read, and know. What matters is not so much the absolute shock value of your pitch, personal brand, website, Facebook page, or creative job ad; but rather it’s relative salaciousness compared to the drivel your competitors are offering. Why does an online job ad that differs ever so slightly from the mainstream formula seem so innovative and dare I say ‘edgy?’. Because compared to 99% of the mundane and monotonous, an ad that sprinkles in just a couple of off-the-wall phrases, or flashes the tiniest bit of attitude in the ‘Required job duties’ section will read like the second coming of On The Road.
Any corporate ‘What it’s like to work here’ section on the career site that goes for the gusto simply by refraining from a recount or laundry list of the company core values, or victories as a ‘Best Place to Work’ by the local merchants association (‘Downtown East Hartford loves us!’), will seem like the next Zappos, Google, or Facebook on the wow scale.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating more play it safe behavior, more boring and expected job ads, company websites, or inane ‘A Message from the CEO’ statements, what I am offering are words of encouragement and hope. Edgy is relative. In the HR and recruiting space you can have an incredible incremental impact by just being slightly less tedious than your competition. You don’t have to convince your Director of Purchasing to do a gag-inducing striptease on the conference room table to get noticed. You don’t have to run the risk of a social media backlash.
Mostly, to be memorable, you just have to be the tiniest bit less of a dullard than the next company. Which we all know is pretty easy.
No go out there and mildly surprise someone!
Then it hit me, anyone trying to get our attention this time of year figures they have to go for the provocative, the scandalous, or the edgy. Whether it is middle-age finance types cavorting around the office furniture in TheLadders ads, or Super Bowl commercials with people getting smacked in the head with Pepsi cans, the marketers, PR professionals, and Twitter celebrities have (probably rightly) concluded that the only way to get you to wake up and look away from your iPhone for two minutes is to go for the shock and awe. Edgy may be cool, but it comes with one huge problem - edgy is relative. Go for the edge and you immediately alienate that part of the audience that may not have given you much of a chance to begin with, but now for sure will not.
Edgy only has meaning when compared to your audience’s past experiences, what they have seen, read, and know. What matters is not so much the absolute shock value of your pitch, personal brand, website, Facebook page, or creative job ad; but rather it’s relative salaciousness compared to the drivel your competitors are offering. Why does an online job ad that differs ever so slightly from the mainstream formula seem so innovative and dare I say ‘edgy?’. Because compared to 99% of the mundane and monotonous, an ad that sprinkles in just a couple of off-the-wall phrases, or flashes the tiniest bit of attitude in the ‘Required job duties’ section will read like the second coming of On The Road.
Any corporate ‘What it’s like to work here’ section on the career site that goes for the gusto simply by refraining from a recount or laundry list of the company core values, or victories as a ‘Best Place to Work’ by the local merchants association (‘Downtown East Hartford loves us!’), will seem like the next Zappos, Google, or Facebook on the wow scale.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating more play it safe behavior, more boring and expected job ads, company websites, or inane ‘A Message from the CEO’ statements, what I am offering are words of encouragement and hope. Edgy is relative. In the HR and recruiting space you can have an incredible incremental impact by just being slightly less tedious than your competition. You don’t have to convince your Director of Purchasing to do a gag-inducing striptease on the conference room table to get noticed. You don’t have to run the risk of a social media backlash.
Mostly, to be memorable, you just have to be the tiniest bit less of a dullard than the next company. Which we all know is pretty easy.
No go out there and mildly surprise someone!
Reader Comments (2)
edgy is okay as long as it's authentic. when an organization is "trying" to be edgy, it becomes and exercise in dorkiness and attracts the wrong kind of people.
Thanks Col - I like the 'exercise in dorkiness' take - I may steal it for a post title soon!