Teljoy CEO Rob Katzen has had it with 'The Man'. He's not the only one. The concept of 'the man' is treated with such contempt, by the younger generations in particular.
Katzen explains that "while we understand that debt funding offers a means for people to acquire needed products, in our view this has moved way beyond reason and is now firmly in the realms of reckless lending with significant social impacts. This is obviously a bad thing, which we have caricatured as 'the man'."
As the younger generation are more aware of this environment and more confident in expressing their opinions, you're more likely to hear them explain how they're going to 'stick it to the man' by defying society's expectations.
Katzen says 'The Man' was a choice of personality for the latest Teljoy campaign as the concept of the big bad institution is well recognised.
"Consequently, we felt it was a great mechanism to allow society to quickly understand the message we were trying to get across - that 'debt' is bad and Rent to Own with Teljoy is a better alternative with added benefits. Here's why...
Traditionally, Teljoy made use of typical retail advertising focused on providing potential customers prices for the goods they offer, but found this message often gets lost as so much advertising is done in this space.
That's why the new campaign is very much an awareness campaign rather than a call to action product campaign, as it focuses on exactly what it is that Teljoy does and how they do it in the best way accessible to the consumer. It's intended to build awareness of Teljoy as an alternative channel for people to shop.
Using 'the Man' as a device, Katzen says they're highlighting the negative nature of debt funding. The campaign also showcases the benefits of Teljoy's Rent-to-own concept, but more than that, it's a disruptive campaign as it's geared to challenge the way most asset-purchase agreements work.
While people are generally uncomfortable with this sort of challenge, it works in this case as Teljoy believes it is important for people to be aware that there is an alternative. Luckily the approach is working as Katzen says they've had fantastic feedback on the campaign so far, both in terms of commentary on the structure of the campaign and through increased activity to their website and call centre.
Even better? Katzen says the simple comparison between what they offer and the more typical purchase agreement offered by our competitors has resulted in a clear message about the relative benefits of the service they provide. It's an approach that pro-actively educates consumers about these relative benefits in a clear way by emphasising what 'the Man' doesn't offer you and what Teljoy indeed does.
Clever and effective. Go forth and disrupt! For more on Teljoy, visit their website or follow their Twitter stream.
