Truth in Advertising (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at the importance of creating the right expectations for your customers through your advertising.

There is an absolutely brilliant metaphor for advertising that I want to share with you. I wish I had thought of it, however, credit goes to Colin Cowherd, host of ESPN's radio show The Herd. Although Colin's show is all about sports, in my opinion he's also a top-notch branding guy, often providing great insight into what a brand is and the branding of major sports figures and teams.

The other day on his show he was chatting how a banana always provides honest advertising. When the peel is green the banana is conveying it's too early to eat. When the skin turns bright yellow, it's shouting out now is the perfect time to peel and enjoy me. When the skin becomes spotted and black, it's sharing with you that it's past its prime and time for banana bread or that smoothie. When you think about it, that's truth in advertising.

Colin went on to relate the banana to the orange. In comparison, you see a nice bright orange skin and make the assumption that there is sweet, juicy pulp inside. You peel the orange and sometimes that is the case; other times you bite into a flavorless, dried-up slice. Like Forrest Gumps' box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.

When it comes to advertising your brand, you want to be just like that banana. Your advertising should be truthful and properly reflect the benefit your customers will accrue when they use your product or service. Your advertising creates an expectation in the minds of your customers and you always want to be able to deliver on that brand promise. Even better, exceed customer expectations.

As you develop your advertising, always be the banana and never the orange. Your customers will find that very "a-peel-ing." Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Vsit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com.Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

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