Sounds like...

Today I realised that to understand the new, you need to start with the old. Something we do intuitively as marketers, but something that by being explicit, we can use more effectively.

Lucky girl that I am, I am currently visiting Spain. And strangely, I keep thinking about Africa. There is something about the sparse, arid vegetation, dry hot taste in the air and the tinge of burning smoke that echoes experiences in Africa. My brain is intuitively framing my understanding of this new place with the other.

Which makes sense. How do we learn, speak, understand without building on what is? From crawling to walking.

Marketing innovative new products, how do you make people want it, speed the adoption curve? Short answer: people need to get it before they buy/use it. So, start with what people know, then take them on the journey with you to a new understanding of what they can do. Examples include Salesforce.com and their "no software" graphic, Apple with their simple examples of conversations and spoof-PC ads, Intel simplifying micro-processors to a simple visual of Intel inside.

It's not the only tactic for helping people 'get' your product, but it can fast track the process.

You? What have you you described as sounds like, tastes like, feels like..?