The testimonial is arguably the oldest trick in the marketing playbook. So it’s odd that there aren’t more really great testimonials out there (and lots of bad ones). But we can fix that with just a few simple rules of thumb.
Rule #1: It’s their testimonial not yours
For a testimonial to be effective, it has to be real. It has to be the subject’s own story in their own words. There’s almost nothing worse in the ad world than a “testimonial” full of spoon-fed lines or an ultra-stiff delivery of bullet pointed brand benefits. Good testimonials should feel more like mini-documentaries, which means slip-ups, awkward / dramatic pauses, and above all else, real emotion.
Storytellers in testimonials should be amateur brand ambassadors, not professional spokespeople, so just let the story flow. This is especially true when the brand experience is already a really impactful or emotional storyline, like the patient cancer journey testimonials we did for Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Rule #2: That said, you still may need to coach
Of course, we’re in marketing, not documentary-ing, so even the most natural testimonial may need some structure so it feels like part of a cohesive campaign. That can mean a consistent format (like Chick-fil-A’s Red Couch videos), a specific question-answer format, or a simple story structure.
And yes, some coaching is fine. I’d be lying if I said I’d never helped someone re-word a thought to better fit into a 28-second package – but it was still their words, not the brand’s.
Rule #3: Setting and style matters
The storyteller matters most, but the surrounding environment and visual style can also tell a story. Sometimes it’s a studio setting shot in black and white to add drama like Grady’s terrific “I wouldn’t be here” series. Sometimes it’s a high school ballfield or backyard workshop like our cardiac care spots for Phoebe Health. Sometimes, it’s a sandy boardwalk in Venice Beach to drive home the “no really, we just grabbed a person off the street” vibe like the guerilla videos we did for Violet. The one caution here is that the background and style have to enhance, not distract from, the core story.
Rule #4: Don’t be afraid to go bigger than planned
Testimonials aren’t tight and tidy scripts that fit perfectly into a media plan. And like the best stories, they can sprawl. They can meander. They can take you places you didn’t know you wanted to go. That’s OK. There’s usually a way to grab a sample to use as a teaser for a larger story, and if that story is really compelling, your short-form ads turn into a much more immersive and connective brand experience. Our work for the environmental advocacy group One Hundred Miles is a great example – the stories were just too big to be contained in thirty (or even sixty) seconds, but they were still incredibly connective.
Bottom Line
Testimonials are still with us for a reason – they’re relatable. They convince without trying. They set the stage for a viewer to say “Hey, that’s just like me” while watching an ad. So protect that relatability with all you’ve got, because a bad testimonial triggers the worst response – the dreaded “what a bunch of BS” reaction.
