“With emergency lights and sirens or silent speed through the dark, a metaphor travels outside of the usual lanes of logic to gain attention, anchor memory, cause hearts to beat again, and douse doubts, said Anne Miller, author of the book Metaphorically Selling.
She adds, “A metaphor (an implicit, vivid comparison) works particularly well to overcome a blind spot in someone's thinking. Using an unexpected, well-chosen idea, a metaphor “can transport someone from the place where he has dug in his heels to a whole new place, where he cannot bring his emotional baggage.”
For instance, wrote marketing coach Marcia Yudkin, “an insurance broker who couldn't get a particular client to sign the contract sensed that the client thought the idea was wise but didn't feel any urgency to act. The broker learned that the client had a passion for growing apples, visited him in his orchard and asked why he was spraying the trees that day.
The client understood now, and signed.”
Here's some more examples to inspire you to create your metaphor that makes your idea, product, cause or organization more memorable:
The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship has been called.the Davos of social entrepreneurship.
Musician Jon Hendricks is the father of vocalese, the art of setting lyrics to jazz instrumental standards and then having voices sing the instruments' parts. That's why Time Magazine dubbed him the "James Joyce of Jive."
30 years ago, H. Rap Brown said, "Violence is as American as cherry pie."
"Criticizing a political satirist for being unfair is like criticizing a nose guard for being physical," wrote political cartoonist, Garry Trudeau.
Ready for some "unintentionally silly / mixed metaphors"?
