Differentiation Isn’t a PR and Marketing Exercise – It’s Got to Be True

The interconnectedness of public relations and marketing is evident when you see a company effectively differentiating itself from its competitors. But even the most coordinated efforts have to amplify something true about your company.

Revolutionary advertising teamed up with bland media relations won’t get you where you want to be.

Setting yourself apart in the public’s mind will fail miserably if the customer experience doesn’t live up to the billing.

If employees and business partners don’t buy into the idea that you really are a different company, they’ll pass on their skepticism  to customers.

Southwest Airlines and Canada’s WestJet have been very effective creating a corporate culture that reinforces their image as friendlier, more customer-focused travel companies.

The photo (left) of CEO Gary Kelly doing his best Gene Simmons imitation reinforces Southwest’s willingness to behave differently. And that image is reinforced daily by employees’ behavior.

Basically, if you can’t enthusiastically answer the question “Why should you do business with us?“, your company doesn’t have a workable differentiation strategy.  Which means whatever you’re spending on marketing and PR can’t achieve the results it should.

And if your answers don’t ring true, your attempts to make your company stand out from the crowd will succeed in the wrong way.

So, can you explain why people should do business with you?

Photo courtesy Southwest Airlines Photo Gallery.