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Person(a):
I love Peanuts, the cartoon, because it’s hard to not see myself in those kids. I relate to them when they’re happy or self-conscious or when they’re hurting. Many people do. After all, the show is a composite of stories about the human experience, a spectrum of things. But what’s interesting is it’s all based on only one person’s experience:
Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts.
We know this because he said so.
“This whole business of Charlie Brown,” Schulz said, “these are memories of my own miserable days. I think Charlie Brown is just a little bit of what all of us have inside of us,” he said. “Mainly me. Mainly, I’m Charlie Brown.”
Charles Schulz, 1956.
Indeed, Charles Schulz is like Charlie Brown, kind, loyal, responsible, determined. But he’s like the other characters, too. Philosophical like Linus. Sarcastic like Lucy. Fantastical like Snoopy.
This speaks to the fact that the most resonant stories often come from a singular point of view.
Because when you speak from your personal experience, you open the door for others to understand you and relate to you. It’s why in this book I often use my own life—my family, my experiences, the joys, the sad moments—to frame and explain concepts about copywriting and creativity.
I write about my life because it’s what I know. And over the years, I’ve found that people tend to connect with my work because they see themselves in it. They don’t see me, my experiences, my family. They see their partners and their children and their circumstances in my stories.
We see ourselves in others because we’re all the same.
This is why I avoid creating ads based on a persona, an amalgamation, a “character” used to represent a specific demographic in a market.
“A persona,” said marketer Sean D’Souza, “is a Frankenstein.”
A persona isn’t real, but a person is.
Lean into this when doing your research.
Work to understand the perspective of an individual—one prospect—and very often, their personal hopes, needs, and desires will be your most honest and accurate source of information.
