Commentary

This Marketing Guy Wants Brands to Stop Lying About How Awesome They Are

Penning an op-ed piece for Crain's New York, Trust Founder and CEO Adam Fine says it's time for brands to stop overcompensating for their inadequacies and, well, to stop lying plain and simple. He says: "Brands picture themselves how they want to be seen rather than how they really are." 

Of course, there's no need for 100 percent honesty because, well, that would just be ugly. But Fine has a point and writes: "It’s time for clients to take a look in the mirror and, literally, stop lying. If a client is honest with us, the workflow, working environment and overall company perception can vastly improve. By systematically breaking down and analyzing a client’s departments, staff, offerings and inner workings, we can get it to true self-discovery. One of the ultimate goals is to persuade brands and clients to think long-term because, frankly speaking, there are no short-term solutions to improving a company’s working process and services." 

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Citing brands that have successfully adopted this approach, Fine points to the very successful "Pizza Turn Around" work Domino's did with help from Crispin Porter + Bogusky which resulted in a 14% increase in same-store sales. 

But he also cites brands that have failed on this front. In an effort to position itself as a brand that can benefit consumers' health, Skechers funded a study which claimed certain health benefits of their sneakers. The net result? A $40 million fine from the Federal Trade Commission. 

The message here, of course, is, sure, put your best foot forward, but don't stretch the truth. Especially in this day and age where hiding the truth is near impossible. Nothing's worse for a brand than an angry mob of "outraged" internet residents who have no problem instantaneously trashing your brand as if it were an annoying mosquito.

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