Tell the Truth

Consumers are looking behind the face of your brand and checking out the quality of your corporate character using information now available to them on the internet. So will that happy meal make them happy or give them diabetes and should they "Just do it" in tennies put together by small children with bleeding fingers?

There are a lot of moving parts here but lets keep the focus on the consumers. Thats me and you. We are getting to be a pretty sophisticated bunch and we're pissed. Smoke is literally coming out of our ears after being lied to for years by big tobacco but what did we expect from those guys. More recently and far worse are the grand deceptions perpetrated on us little guys by big business and the government. They have left many of us minus a secure retirement, likely minus a home and certainly getting nasty looks from the locals on most of our overseas vacations. As a result, we are suspicious and unwilling to be lead into more strife just because we believed what we were told.

We are using the internet to research consumption options and peer to peer forums such as social network sites to gather feedback on our choices. We want to hear what you have to say but we're not taking your word for it any more. Companies need to project clear, compelling and most importantly, authentic messages to engage us as customers.

These messages should be the basis of your positioning and the foundation of your brand. Remember that consumers are looking for an emotional connection as part of the buying experience. If your not the cheapest option (and if your not Walmart then your probably not) then you better be the one providing the greatest feeling of connection and shared values to your customers.

You are going to need more than a great writer to help you get to the heart of the matter and articulate these messages. You need a good listener and a strong conceptual thinker who can translate the essence of what you are into a voice that will connect you to your customers. This is beyond branding and positioning. Your real product here is a set of respectable values and a straight talking approach to your customers. It's what we're all in the market for and we'll deal with the mark up to get it.