It’s time to stop beating your chest in your marketing.
There are some words, like quality, service and value that are so overused in marketing materials that consumers just tune them out.
They’ve lost all meaning and credibility and using them can actually hurt you. They don’t enhance your message, they cloud it.
These words have been so watered down and are so generic that the consumer makes the assumption that you don’t really have anything to tout, so you’ll just pulling out the generic words to take up space.
That doesn’t mean you cannot market your quality, commitment to service or value.
Just find other ways to get the message across.  Let your customers talk about your quality. Let satisfaction survey results brag about your high level or service. Do price comparisons or a 110% price difference refund speak to your value.
Live them. Just don’t use the words.
>>consumers just tune them out.<<
Not really – if these words are used just to create hype and try to make the prospect believe that the offer is good quality and offers good value, your statement is corect, but
as a consumer I am concerned with the real quality, service and price. Maybe using testimonials from happy customers could enhance the customers experience and result in better sales.
Well i am sure there will be always different thoughts about this, but it is obvious that people are more and more looking for real things, results and methods that are proven and working.
Quality, service, value are the starting points for doing business. They are not marketing materials. The toughest, and most valuable, thing for a business to do is decide what they promise to deliver beyond their product/price/service.
Perhaps the consumer doesn’t trust quality, service and value because they rarely experience all three at once. It’s as though business is saying, “quality, service and value – pick one!” I think Jay puts it nicely.
Santa,
Of course, we all care about quality. I don’t disagree with you there at all. But when a company drones on about their quality, we tune out. Or worse, we think that they don’t really haven anything relevant to say to us.
Testimonials are a much better way to communicate the same message.
Drew
Jessica,
Very true. Especially in these economic times, we want to buy proven products. But, the words quality and value have been so over-used…we don’t really put a lot of stock into a company that keeps promising them.
Unless of course, their promise has some teeth — something we can measure or see. Then, that’s a message we do care about.
Drew
Jay,
Agreed. But too many companies, who haven’t bothered to figure out how they are better (assuming they are) or different — lean on the quality message as the default.
And of course, we jaded consumers know exactly how that works, so they tune out the quality pitch.
You’re very right. Tough to do. To dig deep enough to differentiate yourself. But it’s the only way not to be a commodity.
Drew
Ed,
I think consumers are smart enough to know when companies use mediocre buzz words like value and quality — they know they’re about to be subjected to an uninspired marketing.
I believe companies demonstrate quality and value. They don’t talk it.
Drew