Sharon's Marketing Missive

What does a little tavern in an even smaller town have in common with a healthcare powerhouse like Group Health? They’ve both delivered on their promises. And as I develop my marketing is like dating theory, I've realized being true to your word is important in dating and marketing both.

Last week at the Puget Sound Marketing Association (PSAMA) luncheon, Jay Gusick of Group Health talked about the enormous rebranding effort his organization has gone through since 2000. When he put up his slide showing the phases they’ve gone through, and the first was on figuring out their brand, I right away made a note about “yeah, but the important thing is to follow through on that brand, that promise!” And sure enough, as he continued to describe the process, turns out that’s what they did: They determined their brand, then went back and made the reality fit, from staff appearance to the look of their facilities to the level of care. And only then did they start to promote the new brand, once they could deliver on the promise.

That same day I drove north to visit my cowboy. He was excited to take me to Burlington’s newest tavern for dinner. It had just opened the night before. Walking up to it, I saw an old brick building with the words Train Wreck painted in huge letters on the side. And I began to anticipate the experience: What I hoped for, what an old brick building in a small town “promises” to me, is a straightforward yet neighborly experience, with an interior full of the character that only a renovated industrial building can offer and a menu of what I affectionately call “bar food.” That’s just what I got. The Train Wreck delivered on its promise by being warm and friendly, appropriately decorated with vintage photos hanging from the exposed brick walls, a handful of popular beer choices, and the perfect bar menu. (If you ever go, have the Oyster Grinder. Wish I could have one today!)

In one day I witnessed both a big business and a small business be true to their marketing. They delivered on their promises. You might think what does that matter, marketing is just to get people through the door in the first place, right? Wrong. Your marketing is a lie if you don’t follow through on what you promised in the first place.

It's just like in dating: If you say you're going to call, call. If you present yourself as an outdoorsy person when you first meet someone, you'd better be an outdoorsy person. Think how frustrating it is when someone pretends to be something they're not.

Marketing is like dating. Think how frustrating it must be for your customers when your marketing makes you out to be something you're not.