Some prefer reading written descriptions, other like video. This article includes both approaches.

Consumers are bombarded by marketing pitches every minute.

I read somewhere that the average consumer sees 5,000 ads in a day.

If I believed everyone I’d be bankrupt.

To combat this, consumers discount marketing messages. Sometimes we discount them by 10%, sometimes by 30%, and if the marketing message is especially outrageous, we ignore it completely.

Now let’s evaluate this situation from the perspective of the marketer.

What is a marketer to do if they know they’re about to face a tough crowd?

They should apply a strategy that’s unexpected, that’s subtle.

And this is where Implied versus Stated marketing comes into play.

Let’s say you are an energy drink mix company and want to let the world know how great your product is.

Here is the stated version of your pitch:

THERE ARE OVER 122 ENERGY DRINKS ON THE MARKET. THEY ARE ALL TERRIBLE.

Here is the implied version of that same pitch:

THERE ARE OVER 122 ENERGY DRINKS ON THE MARKET. WE’VE TRIED THEM ALL.

Notice the difference between implied marketing and stated marketing?

In the first instance, we’re making a very specific claim. Can the consumer really trust us? In short, probably not. So they’ll discount this message by 30%.

On the other hand, the implied scenario isn’t saying we’re better than the competition. It just states, “we’ve tried them all.”

When the reader reads this they have to fill in the empty space themselves. So they fill it in with, “We’ve tried them all. Ours is better than the 122 we tested.”

In essence, the reader is, on their own, spelling out the punch line.

Nothing could be more persuasive.

Here is another implied vs. stated example.

One more:

Stated version: Sale ends in XX hrs XX min

Implied version: Today: $27.68

NOTE: I’d like to make a point here. Marketers should never lie or mislead readers. If you’re going to lie you’re not a marketer, you’re a criminal. But the goal is to use the flexibility of the English language to craft a compelling message. In this particular example, if anything, the marketer is understating things.

Ok, ok, one more example:

Imagine you sell long-term food storage (this is freeze-dried food with a 25-year shelf life).

People buy your product because they are concerned about one day being in an emergency situation without access to food.

Basically, you are selling an insurance policy for an unknown future event.

Here is an example (taken from 4Patriots.com not a client❓ ):

A potential buyer may look at the offer above, feel compelled, but ultimately conclude, “What are the odds I’ll be in an emergency situation? Seems unlikely.”

To diffuse that thought the retailer could show an implied line like this:

Notice how the retailer is saying 9 out 10 times you don’t need their solution. Because it was left unsaid the reader’s mind will immediately jump to the 1 our 10 scenario.

However, had the retailer pushed hard on the 1 out 10 scenario the reader would have ignored it or discounted it.

Thank you

Thank you for reading this article about implied marketing.

If you’re on LinkedIn much you can should definitely connect with me. On LinkedIn, I post ecommerce conversion ideas every day, multiple times a day.