Transparency in Advertising

Of course we want to put our best foot forward. But make sure it is your foot.

When a prospective client sees you and your product, you want them to see the best possible version of you.

But when we resort to tactics that obscure truth or manipulate the belief of the customer, we actually do more damage than good. Not only does this type of intentional engineering sell the customer a product they did not want, it also attracts the wrong customer.

The hotel and travel industry has long-battled this, leading to the rise of independent reviews that show an accurate depiction of the product.

Brand leaders have two choices:

• Improve the actual delivered product
• Adapt marketing to more truthfully reflect the product

For some, this is an easy choice. For others, it is easier to mask a sub-par product with the belief that the customer will either not notice, not care, or that more customers — regardless of their qualification — somehow leads to a better chance of closing the sale.

These are false beliefs that erode the brand.

Don’t buy into them. Instead, improve the product to match both your marketing and the expectation of your next customer.

Let’s make the standard transparency in advertising.