Show Me You Know Me: Frosted Tips Edition
Why am I the only guy here with frosted tips?"
Mark McGrath wondered this out loud to the crowd as the sun set at the Barenaked Ladies concert this summer. Sugar Ray was opening, and if the 90s hold a special place in your heart, you know exactly what kind of reaction he got—we all erupted in cheers.
Mark McGrath took the stage looking exactly like he did in 1997—frosted tips and all. He knows that was his heyday, and he leans into it completely. Why? Because he's betting that his audience thinks back on the 90s just as fondly as he does.
The Magic of Being Seen
Being part of a crowd of strangers belting out lyrics we haven't thought about in 25 years—but remember like we'd heard them yesterday—reminded me of what I tell my clients all the time: "Show me you know me" is the golden rule of communication.
When you show your people you see them clearly—who they are, what their identities are, what they're passionate about—that's when real connection happens.
Whether it's joining a crowd of concert-goers in a shared moment of nostalgia or bringing together like-minded supporters to address a problem you all want to see solved, the golden rule is the same.
Why This Matters for Your Organization
Mark McGrath understood his audience at that moment. He didn't try to be someone he wasn't—he embraced exactly what his people wanted from him and delivered it with confidence.
Too often, we get caught up trying to be everything to everyone. We water down our message, trying to appeal to the broadest possible audience. But the secret to connection isn't casting the widest net, it's about knowing your people so well that when you speak, they feel truly seen.
The Clarity-Connection Formula
Here's what I witnessed that night: when you speak directly to who your people are and what matters to them, something powerful happens. They don't just hear you—they feel understood. They don't just listen—they participate.
Because clarity creates connection.
When Mark McGrath asked who wanted to go back to the 90s, he wasn't speaking to everyone in the venue. He was speaking to the people who came specifically to relive that era, to remember what it felt like when his hits were on repeat every time you turned on the radio.
And we ate it up.
Your Turn to Connect
The next time you're crafting a communication—whether it's an email, a social post, or a presentation—ask yourself: Am I showing my people that I know them? Am I speaking to their experiences, their values, their memories, their hopes and how they overlap with my organization's?
Because when you do that consistently, something beautiful happens. Your audience doesn't just consume your content—they connect with it. They don't just follow you—they feel seen by you.
And that's when real relationships flourish.
PS: Barenaked Ladies was awesome too.
After a decade as an in-house nonprofit marketer, Jordana Merkin founded Voice for Good to bring her insider knowledge and outsider perspective to help growing nonprofits like yours clarify their messaging to raise awareness and funds for their missions.
Her work with nonprofits includes messaging guides, communication strategy, and copywriting. (Learn more here!)
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