Mekanism CEO on How to Be an Influencer

Have you ever wanted to be more influential? Here are tips from Jason Harris, CEO of creative agency Mekanism — the brains behind some of the biggest marketing campaigns of the past decade.

How to become more influential


Jason Harris is the CEO of Mekanism, a marketing agency that has produced memorable ad campaigns like his new book The Soulful Art of Persuasion, is full of tips on how to be more influential.


FIND YOUR MESSAGE


It doesn't have to be more complicated than this. It has to be number one. What is it that I'm really trying to say at the core? What is it that I stand for? Consumers wouldn't care if 75 percent of the world's brands disappeared tomorrow. And I think the point of that brands today have to stand for more than products or services or being transactional or just selling something.


CONSISTENCY


Once you have that belief and you know what you're trying to say you have to be very consistent with it over time. Whatever the brand stands for, whatever that core truth is behind a brand, the greatest brands in the world -- they maintain that core truth and it's always consistent over time.


AUTHENTICITY


You have to say have something that you want to say and what you want to say has to be endemic in core and authentic to the brand. Because just riding the wave of pop culture trends or whatever is happening in the moment isn't gonna get you there.


KEEP IT SIMPLE


Messages can get so convoluted and complicated and you want to throw in the kitchen sink. But really powerful branding and advertising is really about editing. And the simplest idea is always went out the day.


NEVER BE CLOSING


Don't look at things from a transactional point of view look at playing the long game building relationships not looking at going for the sale.


[Jason Harris has spent decades in advertising, selling products and ideas through visual storytelling. In the book, Harris argues that genuine persuasion is about personal character rather than facts and arguments.]


Brut.


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Brut.