Unpacking The Tiffany Problem and it’s Lessons for Marketers

In medieval stories, there aren’t many characters named “Tiffany.”

But in fact, Tiffany – short for Theophania – was actually a common name in medieval England and France.

Except Tiffany doesn’t sound medieval. It sounds modern.

When writers and storytellers and naming characters for stories set hundreds of years ago, they don’t choose Tiffany.

Author Jo Walton dubbed the phenomenon “The Tiffany Problem.”

Just because something is correct doesn’t make it compelling – or believable.

There are other examples of seemingly modern terms actually being much older than you might expect. The phrase “haha” dates back to 1000 CE. “Hang out” appears in a Charles Dickens novel. The first use of “babe” happened more than a century ago.

Sometimes, Reality is Unrealistic

Most marketing pros aren’t tasked with writing historical fiction. But they are expected to create materials that resonate with their target audiences.

Marketers often introduce new ideas, products, or narratives that challenge existing perceptions. In such cases, it’s crucial to bridge the gap between what is true and what is believed.

That goes for product claims, testimonials, sales numbers, and more.

It doesn’t matter if it’s true. It has to be believable.

Not every misconception is worth correcting. For authors, there’s little benefit to using the name “Tiffany” and risk taking readers out of the flow of the story. For marketers, there’s little benefit to using phrases or claims that will distract audiences from the story or sales journey.

At the end of the day, consumer perception trumps factual accuracy in determining how a message is received. Marketers should not only focus on the factual correctness of their messaging but also on how it will be perceived in the cultural context.