--- title: "Yanny Vs. Laurel: Do You Hear What I Hear?" description: "The Yanny/Laurel debate has a key marketing message: user experience. You must consider what the end user “hears” even if it’s not your personal interpretation." image: https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/hubfs/Blog_images/blog-06.06.2018-828228824.jpg --- [![White Space Marketing Group](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ws-logo-header.png?width=253&height=80&name=ws-logo-header.png "White Space Marketing Group")](https://www.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/) ![blogbanner](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blogbanner.png?width=1500&name=blogbanner.png "blogbanner") [Gray Matter at White Space](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com) [B2B Marketing Strategy for Small and Mid-Sized Companies](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com) # [Yanny Vs. Laurel: Do You Hear What I Hear?](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/yanny-vs-laurel-do-you-hear-what-i-hear) ![Sylvia Anderson, B2C/B2B Writer](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/hubfs/WSMG%20site%20Graphics%20and%20Photos/Team/Sylvia_116-181099-edited.jpg) by [Sylvia Anderson, B2C/B2B Writer](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/author/sylvia-anderson-b2c-b2b-writer) on Jun 6, 2018 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![blog-06.06.2018-828228824](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_images/blog-06.06.2018-828228824.jpg?width=300&name=blog-06.06.2018-828228824.jpg)Tomato, tomahto; potato, potahto is one thing, but the Yanny/Laurel debate took us to a whole new level of social dichotomy. By the time it had hit its viral peak, celebs were cat-fighting. Age-old friends were battling. Marriages were in danger of dissolution. New York Magazine editor Madison Malone Kircher summed up her thoughts in a telling tweet: > You either die a Yanny or live long enough to see yourself become a Laurel. > > — Madison Malone Kircher (@4evrmalone) [May 15, 2018](https://twitter.com/4evrmalone/status/996481878382301186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) The Yanny/Laurel squabble was successor to the infamous gold dress/blue dress dispute and was quickly followed up by another audio illusion (brainstorm vs. green needle). These illusions are a nice distraction from the stresses of “real life.” But, they have an important marketing message as well: the user experience. Whether you’re involved in B2C or B2B marketing relationships, you must consider what your end user “hears,” even if it’s not your personal interpretation. ## B2C: Put on Your Yanny Hat > The Yanny/Laurel debate took us to a whole new level of social dichotomy. The most effective consumer content marketing strategy provides one-to-one content experiences, a connection David Beebe makes in this [Inc.com article](https://www.inc.com/david-beebe/yanny-or-laurel-only-thing-marketers-need-to-hear-to-build-brand-loyalty.html). **“In today's media and marketing landscape where consumers control when, where, and how they interact with brands, the best content is always about the consumer.”** “Consumer first” content isn’t necessarily personalized to each individual buyer, but it does involve putting yourself in the consumer’s shoes. How do you accomplish that? Beebe delineates three key points. 1. Publish plenty of value-added content that informs, educates, or entertains. It should provide solutions but not be a [“hard sell.”](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/blog/why-top-of-funnel-content-is-no-place-for-buy-now) 2. Embrace content that evokes emotion. It’s more likely to be shared, liked, retweeted, etc., because readers resonate with either what your brand represents or the content itself. They want to [bestow that experience](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/blog/how-these-5-emotions-play-into-marketing-success) upon others. 3. Outside perspective is crucial. Would your content strike you if it didn’t represent your brand? Would you engage with it? If you hear Laurel, you still have to consider the Yannys of the world. ## B2B: A Tale of Two Clients > Would your content strike you if it didn’t represent your brand? Some individuals are able to open their minds to a different place to hear both Yanny and Laurel. I got there, eventually (if you want to know how, comment below). Clients with this mentality are “golden” ones. They may have an idea about how challenges should be addressed. Despite this, they are open to guidance from you—and they trust your expertise. These types of clients are willing to[ hear you out](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/blog/6-tips-to-jump-starting-your-marketing-decisions) for the betterment of the business. Others aren’t so amenable. You can have the most cerebral explanation of why a client should follow your plan, yet they'll still hold tight to what they believe is “right,” even if it eventually leads to the company’s detriment. These clients, as Kircher states, may “die a Yanny” without ever acknowledging the opportunities of alternatives. One of two scenarios typically results. Here’s an illustration, based on a meme my friend sent me: >   > > [A post shared by Overheard LA (@overheardla)](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi3WWtFHb0S/) on May 16, 2018 at 9:17pm PDT There’s a semi-famous road in Los Angeles that takes folks from my side of the hill (“the valley”) to Hollywood called Laurel Canyon. If you can manage “difficult” clients in a way that gets them over the Hollywood Hills to the land of dreams (improved ROI, brand recognition, company growth)—even if they *think* they’re traveling on Yanny Canyon—you might be able to continue the relationship. Alternatively, if you repeatedly hit roadblocks because their Waze search keeps redirecting, there’s a chance the client relationship will fade away—either because they end it or you do. > If you hear Laurel, you still have to consider the Yannys of the world. With the second scenario, you have to ask yourself how much blood, sweat, and tears you’re willing to put into convincing clients that Laurel is *the *way, regardless of steadfast Yanny-ness. In the end, regardless of what you hear, you always have to consider what your *customer or client* hears. Otherwise, you’ll be entrenched in a never-ending battle where no one wins. [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/176305/0736f807-5784-452f-9b89-02b073bd78b9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/176305/0736f807-5784-452f-9b89-02b073bd78b9)  Topics: [content marketing](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/topic/content-marketing) About The Author ![Sylvia Anderson, B2C/B2B Writer](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/hubfs/WSMG%20site%20Graphics%20and%20Photos/Team/Sylvia_116-181099-edited.jpg) [ Sylvia Anderson, B2C/B2B Writer ](https://blog.whitespacemarketinggroup.com/author/sylvia-anderson-b2c-b2b-writer) Sylvia Anderson’s career as a writer has been an adventure in versatility--an advantageous history for adapting her voice to White Space’s various B2C... 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