Seth Godin offers great insight today into how nearsighted marketers have ruined the trust many people have for different industries. He concludes:
“Selfish short-sighted marketers ruined it for all of us. The only way out, I think, is for a few marketers to so overwhelm the market with long-term, generous marketing that we have no choice but to start paying attention again.”
What these marketers have done is made it more difficult for us to build strong brands. Brands are built on trust and loyalty, and when an industry is given a bad wrap, it becomes difficult for any company to gain (or regain) that trust.
These unfortunate brand experiences can plague any industry: car dealerships, real estate agents, life insurance, the airline industry (just try changing you seat assignment or flight date), general contracting, plumbing, catering, etc. There’s always room for dishonest people in your field, and these schmucks make it much more difficult for your company to be trusted by the people they have burned.
The key to isolating your brand from shortsighted marketers is to differentiate your business model from the dishonest or disingenuous companies they represent. Think of how Saturn has branded themselves as the no-haggle car company. Or how Southwest makes it easy to book low fares and doesn’t try to nickel and dime you for minor amenities. Or how Progressive Insurance gives you the rates of all of its competitors. These companies have successfully differentiated themselves by bucking industry standards and making it easier to do business with them. Their marketing also becomes easier because they don’t have to come up with an elaborate story or scheme, they can simply tell the truth.
A note on differentiation: if you claim you’re different, you had better follow through. The only thing worse than fighting a battle with nearsighted marketers looking to make a quick buck is when you are the nearsighted marketer. Once you’re branded as disingenuous, you’ll always been seen that way.
Photo by Lin Pernille via Flickr.
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