Infinite Realities

I was speaking with Khailee the other day about aggression and one’s perception of reality, and it has sparked some continued pondering.

We speak of Reality as if it is singular, but, is it really?

Your perception of the key turning point in the last Packer game or conceptualization of what exactly Obama represents for White America are probably both different than mine. On a less ambiguous note, what constitutes as “spicy” is an oft-debated topic.

So, the representation of reality is different in every person’s mind. Is this worth noting?

You bet.

It means when you want to deliver a message, you’re better off tailoring it for every different set of ears you speak to. It means that what resonates with one constituency won’t necessarily resonate with another.

Here’s an example:

The HoboHookah website currently has sales copy tailored to travelers and hard party-goers. Send someone who’s into those sort of activities to the site and we generally do pretty well. The HoboHookah as an item is congruent with the reality those people desire or are a part of (within their own mind).

But. Send a hard core smoker there and we often stumble if we don’t fall.

Part of what I think is happening here is that we aren’t setting the Hobo up to mesh with the reality of those nuanced hookah consumers. There’s a gap between our portrayal of what the Hobo provides and the needs within these readers’ realities. We aren’t shaping the message well enough for them to see how it can fit in their reality.

When you’re creating or delivering a message, understand the reality you’re trying to fit it in, or else it will never find its place there.