Here’s a question. In this digital world where we are all soaking in consumer data, why is advertising still full of shit?
I used to work at an agency that was pretty dysfunctional. There was never a shortage of yelling, crying, politics, intrigues and gossip. Perfect conditions for weepy, blackout drunk Christmas parties. Yet at every pitch, agency leadership would extoll the virtues of our “great team”.
Love isn’t blind, pride is. But I’m not judging. Pride isn’t a bad word. Think about times in life when you’ve felt proud. It’s great! You did something, built something, worked hard and reaped rewards. You achieved. That sense of pride is the balm to console many a corporate ache and pain.
So, you advertise how much you care about your customers. Your training programs and corporate culture might even support that. You’re proud of this. And blind. Because your actual customers sit on ‘ten levels of hold hell’ for terrible tech support. To you, you are purple, to your customer you are orange.
Maybe your data is already telling you this. So, you make the most obvious full-of-shit error that all full-of-shit advertising has been doing since shovels were invented. You think you can advertise your way into a different reality. Into purple. No. Your customers experience orange. You are orange.
A car company says their expensive vehicles are rugged. The owners experience awful re-sale value. A telecom company says its phones give freedom. Customers are ensnared in crappy reception. A franchise restaurant chain says its food is fresh. A franchisee serves something that’s still frozen in the middle.
That’s not to say that only perfect companies can advertise, far from it. Look, if you have the money to throw around on marketing, you have customers. Which means you have something that appeals to them. Stop listening to yourself, stop looking for the answers you want to hear and find out why the people who spend money are actually doing it.
Maybe the telecom customer isn’t there for freedom (which sounds like a bunch of swill anyways) they’re there for cheap. Tell them. Maybe the franchise restaurant chain customer isn’t there for fresh, they’re there for simplicity. Sell uncomplicated. Maybe the shitty car is really about status. You get my drift.
I haven’t worked at that agency for a long time. Our customers tell us we have a great team at our agency. And I’m proud of that.