Bertolt Brecht was a big-time German theater director and playwright. He wrote about "experience" and "audience engagement" long before they were buzz words. Surprisingly, he stands opposed to many of the emotional/empathetic priorities of marketing today. If you’re in marketing, you owe it to yourself to think through Brecht’s counter-perspective.
The Dilemma
Brecht didn't want people to "lose themselves" in a story. He reasoned that if you suspended your identity for two hours and assumed the priorities of a fictional character, by the end of the play you would feel like a patient released from hypnosis. And like the newly awakened, you would remember little of what came before. The vitality of the play would be a fading sensation by the time you hit the street outside. An unexamined emotional experience leaves one unchanged. Brecht sought to reinvigorate theater by making it more direct.
The Plan
His plan was to make theater that forbade the audience from losing themselves. If he could have personally stalked the theater ripping tissues out of the audience's hands, he would have. For Brecht, the audience's job was to keep their own point of view and reflect!
He turned on the house lights during emotional scenes. He interrupted death scenes with advertising jingles. He broke the fourth wall so much, it stayed broken! Whenever the audience started to slip into their emotions, BAM he poked them right in the intellect! This made them more alert. It made them wrestle with their feelings. It made them wonder at the truth of the play. And, if you've ever seen a Brecht play, it all kind of succeeds. The plays are interesting. You leave actively reconciling yourself to the work.
Now what does this have to do with marketing? Well, it’s almost definitional B2B marketing! Brecht has no patience for anyone’s subconscious. He couldn't care less about subtle manipulative nudges. Rather, he makes direct, engaging, theatrical arguments! If you're a marketer attempting to persuade, isn't that what you do too?
How might Brecht help us to engage people more directly? Let's look.
Brechtian Marketing
1. Break the 4th wall: Send a handwritten note. Draw a picture. Break the digital barrier that separates the sender from the receiver. The noise of life can dim our powers of perception. Sometimes we need a clear trumpet blast to keep us alert.
2. Brecht's use of signs and placards embraces the artificiality of theater. This isn't original with Brecht. It took place in Elizabethan theater, but he did popularize it for modern audiences. If a scene took place in the forest, instead of building a set of a forest, he just gave somebody a sign that says "we're in the forest." If you're in a position to cut through the customary indirectness, do it.
3. "Okay, okay," you say. "I don’t want to be like Brecht. I’m playing the long game. I want emotional connections and stories." Well, Brecht can help here too. Let him tell you what not to do. Don't subvert the emotional experience. Don't plaster your company's graphics all over a heart-felt story or sell your product in the middle. Don't break the fourth wall. Instead, let the story weave its spell. If you find that you’re telling an emotional story like Brecht, then you’re doing it wrong.
DON'T DO THIS:
4. Brecht injected 'Spass' into his plays. 'Spass' is the German word for 'fun.' Despite the message-heavy nature of his plays, he still wanted the experience to be enjoyable. Humor is the quickest emotion we can experience. It's also compatible with thought. Look for fun opportunities to make the familiar seem unfamiliar and provoke alertness in the viewer.
PSSST: (If your website doesn't work well, toss the 'Spass.' It will just cause resentment. But if it does work well, 'Spass' can make it memorable. Here's an idea that breaks the digital fourth wall and gives the viewer some fun).
In conclusion, Bertolt Brecht has something to say to marketers who are creative but too indirect, and he has something to say to marketers who are direct but uncreative. Look for ways to make your marketing cut through the noise. If you want to engage your audience like Brecht, make your meaning plain and vital.
