Why context matters as much content

Why context matters as much content

He has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide.

In 2014, his song Thinking Out Loud was the most streamed song in the world.

In 2018, his The Divide Tour became the highest-grossing tour of all time with $429 million in revenue.

On top of this, he has won countless global music awards.

His name is Ed Sheeran and he is most definitely not someone you would ever expect to be playing behind a curtain in a dodgy looking pop-up peep show venue.

As this funny video above shows, most of the people walking by don’t believe for a moment that a famous musician could actually be inside.

There’s just no way someone of that calibre would be playing in that type of place.  

Finally, after a bit of hustling on his behalf, one brave couple decides to take the plunge.

They’re still not convinced as they pass through the door and even when the real life Ed Sheeran appears they still can’t quite believe it’s actually him.

Why is this?

It’s all to do with context. You expect Ed Sheeran to be playing to sell-out crowds in a large stadium and not behind a curtain in a dodgy look pop-up venue in a random street somewhere in Australia.

This is an important lesson for any message you are trying to communicate.

If it’s the right content but delivered in the wrong context it won’t be heard.

If you’re interested in learning more about how behavioural science can lead to more effective marketing then you will enjoy our course on Behavioural Science for Brands.

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Outthink your competition by thinking like them

Outthink your competition by thinking like them