I read somewhere once that you should get new trainers (you know, sneakers/joggers/sandshoes/runners) every 3 months if you exercise regularly. Apparently if you don’t your shoe will no longer provide you with the support and shock absorption you signed up for.  You’ll be ‘at risk’ of all sorts of things.  I’m wondering whether that was purely marketing hype put out by a sports shoe company, but regardless, it stuck with me.

Every 3 months I should be shelling out around $150 for a new pair of trainers.

Really?

So I got new trainers for my birthday last week.  My husband bought them for me after much hinting on my behalf.  My old Nikes have been battered and bruised for so long, although outwardly they still looked fine and inwardly my feet felt ok, if a little wobbly on occasion. Honestly, there was little tread left on them, but then hey, I’m no rock climber so I’m sure I’d have survived. But in my head, I kept hearing the words: ‘new trainers every 3 months’.

To be fair, I have recently amped up my exercise and I did start to notice that my feet were rolling a little in my old faithfuls, but in reality, I couldn’t perceive of any harm they were inflicting on me.

But ‘new trainers every 3 months’ kept playing like a soundtrack in my head.

I’m not sure how much scientific or medical truth was injected into that marketing campaign, but somehow it worked on me.  And MY truth was that when I slipped my feet into those new trainers and hit the treadmill, I felt like I was running on air. I felt cushioned, supported, and light. Lighter and bouncier than I’d been in ages.

Wearing a new pair of trainers is actually exhilarating for those exercisey types amongst us. Tell me I’m wrong?!? Now I’m no marthon runner or Iron Man entrant, but I do loves me a bit of gym time, and when my feet were wrapped in those shiny new laces they danced like noone was watching.

The question is, was there actual truth in the marketing campaign? Or is the truth a perception of the recipient of that message? Does it matter whether my feet are in fact now 10 times more efficient at covering 5 km without screwing up my back? Or does it not, given how good the new trainers feel? Does it matter that the science might not be there to back up the message, if it’s in fact so pointed that it’s memorable and ultimately sells stuff to satisfied customers? Does it matter that I can’t remember the brand who sold me the message? (I now have Asics instead of Nikes).

What are YOU saying in your marketing that is memorable? That is truthful? That is not quite real but a vision of the truth?
What are you trying to drive into the brains of your people so they consistently recall it?
What is your golden nugget of wisdom that they can hang their hat on and take action with?

If you don’t know, maybe now is a chance to sit still and find it.