Authenticity
counts
I think on authenticity a lot, and I like things to be true to form. I don’t like houses with fake plastic brick glued to the fronts, I detest fake pockets and dresses with jackets that pretend to be two pieces when they’re really one, I loathe “fat free” desserts that are still chockfull of calories, and of course I don’t much care for insincere people.
But mostly I think on authenticity in the world of business. Which, of course, translates to marketing…because everything leads back to marketing in the end, doesn’t it?
How
businesses are inauthentic
It seems to me that a lot of businesses
miss the authenticity mark. And they do it with their marketing. They tell
us a story, we buy into it, and then we discover the reality is something
else all together. The end result is a dissatisfied, distrustful former
customer.
Marketing is a powerful tool. It’s your introduction to someone, it opens the door to sales…it’s everything a potential customer knows about you before they become an actual customer. But it’s easily abused, and probably no more so than when it promises something the business doesn’t deliver.
An
example of inauthentic
Here’s an example: A few months ago, I
stayed at the Salish Lodge. Located 30 minutes or so outside of Seattle,
the Salish sits perched on the edge of a beautiful waterfall. It’s themed
as a Northwest rustic lodge, built with lots of huge, rough-hewn logs. I’d
never stayed at the Salish before, but my friends had and I’d seen the
lodge's marketing for years, so I knew it was rumored to be luxurious,
fancy…and expensive. I was looking forward to finally experiencing it.
But the story didn’t fit the reality. The Salish was inauthentic. And because I walked in with a certain set of expectations, every little inconsistency jumped out at me dramatically. I don’t want to pick the Salish apart, so I’ll just give a few examples: an unfriendly staff person at the front desk; a broken latch in the room that could easily have been fixed; a loose doorknob, also in the room and also easy to fix; a cheap shower curtain that caused huge puddles on the bathroom floor; and wall décor that unsuccessfully juxtaposed contemporary-Asian-aesthetic-as-depicted-by-some-Western-decorative-amateur art with antique Native American pieces and Edward Curtis photographs. (I’ll leave out my thoughts on the spa.)
Be
true to your word and your customer
The experience of the Salish
did not fit the story that had formed in my mind. And just some attention
to detail like décor and repairs (and better staffing) would have ensured
a consistent experience that did fit with my story, thereby enhancing my
visit there instead of detracting from it. The Salish did not live up to
the promise made by its marketing.
Here’s a thought for the New Year: Let’s resolve to tell true stories with our marketing, to be authentic even if it means we have to change our story or the way we do business.
Until next month,
Sharon
