The Old Branding Bait n’ Switch

By Deb Schaffer

Ever been the victim of a “bait and switch”?  See an ad for something at a great price, almost too good to be true.  You go to the store, or website…and they’re out of stock.  But there are other items available, substitutes, usually.  And they’re almost always different enough or more expensive enough that you don’t buy.  You took the bait, they switched the goods, and you’re left feeling misled and mistreated.  That can’t help that company’s reputation, can it?

That’s what happens when organizations don’t think about their own culture and align it with their marketing efforts.  And it’s a common fail.

Most organizations think: here’s a product, here’s a service.  How can we sell it?  What’s the key message?  What’s cool now?  What will catch folks’ eye?  How can we appeal to our target demographic?  The effort to create marketing and advertising is built around the product, and the medium we’re using, and the folks we’re trying to reach. Makes sense, right? But all too often, the product/customer/media discussion leads to one type of message…which the culture of the CU or company can’t support.  (I work in the credit union industry…thus the reference to CUs.  This theory easily applies to all companies.)

Consider a radio spot with young adults talking about where they bank.  One of them says his CU is great.  Nice people, friendly, fast.  And the ad works.  A young person comes into a branch… and the switch is complete.  There are tellers…but there’s a line.  There are forms to fill out.  It’s right before lunch… and that teller isn’t thinking “friendly”…she’s thinking, “hungry.”  That potential member….maybe now, not so much.

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