Valuable marketing tip: never overstate the value (2 great photos to illustrate)

I never miss an opportunity to take a picture of funny things I see when I'm out and about. One common misstep in marketing involves overstating the value of something beyond what your company can deliver. When marketing practitioners overstate the value of something, it causes anger and distrust from their customers. The photo below is from a menu at a Mexican restaurant we stumbled upon in Hilton Head recently.

Cheap Swill Wine....Probably out of the box....(aged on the truck)

Is that not brilliant? It's crappy wine, but they've chosen to not overstate its value buy calling it the house "special," or something along those lines. They are telling it like it is and making customers smile. With that description, it's doubtful anyone has ever bothered to complain or send it back. Customers were told what they were getting. If I ordered it and it was truly awful, I'd probably just shrug my shoulders and laugh, knowing that I had been warned.

I'm not quite sure what to say about this next photo.

NICEPKG

At first, I assumed it was a young 20-something-year-old driver with an inflated ego. This is the kind of thing my own 16-year-old would find funny to do, so I immediately assumed it was a misguided youth. I had the opportunity to pull up next to the driver at a light and was slightly horrified to discover that he looked to be my father's age. He might have been driving his son's car somewhere for the day. He might have owned a reputable UPS packaging franchise and the vanity plate was simply a form of marketing (I know, it's a stretch). Whatever the case, it's a clear example of over-promising something you might not be able to deliver on...and something with a rather subjective value (I would imagine...the light turned, thankfully).

While a lot of marketing is all about choosing words to attract customers or buyers, one must be careful about not overstating the value of what you are selling. Often it can backfire and then you've lost the trust of your audience completely. This is especially true in real estate. My mother, sister and brother were all realtors, so I've heard a lot of the euphemisms out there! Cozy = too small for a flat screen television; retro décor = vinyl floors and avocado green appliances; mechanic's dream = the house is dump, but the garage is huge; unique design = flawed floor plan where you might have to walk through the pantry to access the bathroom.

Marketing is about finding that perfect balance between promoting the benefits, yet keeping it real enough that you won't lose trust by overstating the value of that NICEPKG you might be selling.

Dear CVS and online marketers....

Dear Online Marketers,                                                   

It’s not that I don’t like you. I do. I’ve been you. I understand the need to capitalize on a current transaction by offering the customer a future discount. This all makes perfect sense to my cynical marketing self.

But, please….stop offering me discounts for the exact same products or services I JUST PURCHASED AT FULL RETAIL PRICE, no less than 72-hours ago. It makes you look stupid. It makes me like you less.

I just took my son to CVS Minute Clinic for a sports physical. So, a few days later, I'm struggling to understand why their marketing department would send me a coupon for $10 off a sports physical. Maybe it's all entirely coincidental (not), but I haven't received a CVS promotion until just now, when the online check-in prompted me for my e-mail and address.

I can’t tell you how many times this practice happens. As much as I love Lands’ End, they are guilty of this also. It never fails, that I’ll place a $200+ order for school uniform apparel, and I’ll get an e-mail the very next day for 30% off. Seriously? I know I can call your customer service and they will probably give me the discount on the past order (as they have stellar customer service), but you just make me feel all bitchy and cheap doing that.

So, please…take the following into consideration:

1)     I love that you appreciate my business with a personal e-mail following up on my purchase. Kudos for that.

2)      I love extra discounts, who doesn’t?

3)      I don’t like to feel like I’m being played, or that I missed the boat on a seemingly good deal that’s (coincidentally) occurring moments after my credit card was swiped.

If you are going to use your voodoo marketing and target me before I’m even aware that I’m a loyal customer, please don’t offer me a discount on what I just purchased. If I was just at your store for a sports physical, there’s a pretty good chance I don’t need another one this week. Maybe file this promotion away to hit 11 months from now and send me an e-mail reminder and a coupon for the next delinquent annual sports physical my child likely needs for school. If you want to send me a promotion immediately, offer me something that I can actually use: $5 off any purchase at CVS, a discount on a flu-shot, or $10 off any prescription.

If I just purchased a boat-load of clothing at your store…cough-cough, Lands’ End…don’t send me a 30% off everything promotion that starts tomorrow and ends next week. Send me an e-mail that says, “Thank you for your recent purchase. We are sending you a coupon code that can be used for any future purchase in the next six months." Better yet, notice all those times I have stuff in my cart and haven't checked out? I'm not checking out right away because I'm waiting to see if you will send me another e-mail promotion this week. Save us both the time, and offer me a discount TODAY.

Don’t make me feel dumb. Don’t make me feel like I missed the boat on a sale. Make me feel valued for the customer I am, and the customer I will continue to be if you give me a little free stuff respect. I'm fairly easy in this regard....just treat a girl with a little dignity.