It's Not Just What You Say

A former J. Walter Thompson account rep told me this story. He said they used to use it to make the point to prospects that it's not just what you say, it's how you say it. Presentation is key.

Say you go for a drive in the country and come across a permanent, painted sign that says, "Fresh Eggs." You think, gee it might be nice to have real farm-fresh eggs for a change, so you turn down the side road. Farther up the road you see a hand-painted sign on cardboard that says, "Fresh Eggs."

Which place to you think has fresher eggs?

Later in your drive you see a professionally-made sign that says, "Flying Lessons." Then farther along you see a hand-painted sign on cardboard that says, "Flying Lessons."

At which place are you more likely to take flying lessons?

It's About Perception

When we see a freshly hand-painted sign on cardboard, we think that since it was just put up, the eggs being sold must really be fresh. We also assume it is not a large operation, but a small family farm perhaps. And that reinforces the impression of freshness. We're just one step from the chickens, we think.

Flying lessons are an entirely different matter, however. When we go up in an airplane, we are trusting our lives both to the condition of the plane and the skill of the pilot. If the airplane is in poor shape and stops running, or if the flying instructor is incompetent, we are in big trouble.

For flying lessons we want a school that seems established and trustworthy. A hand-painted cardboard sign just doesn't cut it in this case.

Notice in both cases that these are the impressions we get. We want fresh eggs and a professional flying school, so how they each communicate these qualities either supports or works against the desired impression. We assume the hand-painted cardboard sign means fresher eggs and that the professionally-made sign means the flying school is established and presumably trustworthy. In each case, it is the same two words, but how they are presented makes all the difference.

Brand Psychology

Such is the psychology of marketing and branding. Part of marketing communications is determining what you should say. The other part is figuring out how to say it. Both parts have to work together to relay the right impression.

One of the key ingredients in branding is developing an image that communicates the right qualities. You can sell some things looking home-spun, but others need to presented more professionally. The design of your company identity, stationery, website, brochures, and all are part of the How. The quality and suitability of the design work plays a big part in how your company is perceived. The "voice" you use, i.e., whether your message is relayed seriously, playfully, humorously, etc., also affects the impression people get.

When working with clients on branding, we investigate what qualities should be communicated.

Homemade
Professional
Inexpensive
Top shelf
Upstart
Established
New and hip
Trustworthy

And so on.

Be Careful Cutting Corners

Companies often want to do things cheaply, especially in a down economy. But if they cut corners in the wrong ways, this can truly be penny wise and pound foolish. They have to keep in mind the impression their marketing communications make.

The top brands are careful not to stray from their carefully established brand images. In a down economy they may save money by reducing the number of marketing programs they do, but they are very careful to maintain the consistency of look, of message, of voice. Of what they say and how they say it. That way the impression the public has of them remains consistent. That reinforces their brands, and that feeds  directly to the bottom line.

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Copyright 2010 by Reid M. Neubert. All rights reserved.