They?re fixtures at cocktail parties: Those smug, self-absorbed bores who can?t stop talking about themselves and their accomplishments. They corner you and perhaps feign interest in you, only to launch on lengthy discourses about them?that incredible promotion they just got, that award their child just won, or that fabulous vacation to Turks and Caicos they just took. In other words: heavy on the broadcasting, light on the receiving.
Braggarts have always lived among us. These days, it seems as if they are more multitudinous than ever. Or rather, as a recent article in the Wall Street Journal has suggested, it may be that we are all braggarts now, thanks to a bad economy that heightens competition, parenting styles that emphasize documenting and celebrating even the slightest daily accomplishment of our children, a narcissism fueled by participation in social media, and the simple fact that humans take pleasure, physiologically speaking, in talking about ourselves.
I would concur that certain types of boasting are reaching epidemic proportions, both online and off. While I don?t find bragging attractive (does anybody?), I can?t say I have been completely immune to it. I?ve been told that I might talk too much about a certain relative or over share about a favorite musician whom I might have crossed paths with. (It?s not bragging if you leave out the names, right?). Am I consciously sharing information that I think my ?audience? will find interesting, possibly share with others, or I am simply pumping my own tires? I would assure my accusers that it is the former, but maybe it?s a little of both.
What I?ve been pondering recently is the implication for business. How prevalent is bragging in the communications organizations put out? Is a certain amount of self-promotion necessary and even desirable in the marketplace? How much is too much?
I think there is a balance that can be struck here?and that firms often do strike. As an industry, public relations deals often in third-party endorsements, seeking mentions from journalists and publicizing awards given to our clients from industry trade groups or media. By relying on third person endorsements to tell our clients? stories, we?re getting those stories out there, without making it seem that we are congratulating ourselves unduly.
When done right, public relations tends to tamp down the bragging that companies might otherwise be tempted to undertake. PR does look for the positive aspects of a product or story to help benefit a client, but even something like an anniversary celebration or a community service program where we are discussing the benefits usually focuses on appealing to the audience, offering some sort of information or inspiring some kind of feeling. It?s not simply idle boasting.
Keith Wilcox, Associate Professor at Columbia University, told us in an interview that although the most effective messages are two sided ones that ?contain a positive message, but are also somewhat self-critical, or self-aware. For example, GM ran effective ads during the auto crisis a few years ago where the new CEO spoke frankly that, considering the circumstances, he had reservations about taking the job, but quickly moved onto the many positive things that he was excited about. Domino?s recent campaign is another example of that.?
Some boasting seems necessary. When certain brands or personalities seem reluctant to talk at least a little bit about themselves, we notice?in a bad way. One of the concerns currently being raised about Mitt Romney is that he?s too private?too little inclined to talk about himself and his private life, and thus incapable of putting forward a compelling narrative for voters to latch on to.
Wilcox holds that too much boasting does cause consumers to tune out. ?Young consumers are particularly [sensitive] to overly positive messages. When they are bombarded with positive messages, they are going to stop listening.?
Steve Cody, co-founder and Managing Partner at Peppercom, argues that businesses ?shouldn?t be bragging about themselves. Rather, the organization?s audiences should be the ones doing the bragging. Authenticity is a direct result of allowing the end user (internally or externally) to brag, or rant, about a brand, a product or a person. I think today?s cynical consumer (and, I use the word in the broadest context) dials out bragging from the get go.?
Building off of Cody?s perspective, perhaps we should always do our best to add value for consumers when we communicate, not merely pursue our own interests. It?s about them, not us. Yes we can tell our own stories, but we need to do so in a way that is interesting and that provides a rationale for why people might want to pay attention. If we?re ever tempted to brag, either on our own behalf or on behalf of clients, we always need to ask: ?What?s in it here for customers? How does this messaging add value??
Providing value to consumers has the paradoxical effect of allowing us to be heard. Taking this to the extreme, Cody advises that we focus on ?listening first, last and always? instead of talking. ?By listening to whatever trends, pain points or just plain gossip one?s target audience(s) is sharing, the ?bragger? can engage in that conversation in a much more authentic and trustworthy way.?
What do you think about bragging? Do you agree that it?s important to celebrate our successes but not get too absorbed in them? Will you behave just a little bit differently at your next cocktail party?or boardroom meeting? Drop us a comment and let us know!
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