Is Your Business "Fit" Enough to Be Advertised?

by Barb Lezotte, president of Lezotte Miller Public Relations in Okemos(From SBAM's member-only Focus on Small Business magazine)

In a down economy, “survival of the fittest” may apply to businesses. Those that have gotten by with mediocre customer service and products in a good economy may not fare as well when competition intensifies for a smaller customer base. Businesses that want to get in better shape to compete can’t merely beef up their advertising and marketing efforts. Instead, they should evaluate their relationships with clients and take a critical look at whether their advertising promises match customers’ actual experience.Whether large corporation or small company, every type of business develops a reputation based largely on how it interacts with its key publics – employees, suppliers, customers and clients. A company’s advertising and “image-building” is secondary because customers will constantly compare how they’re treated with the company’s promotion. They will also listen to and observe those in the know – employees and suppliers – to determine if the company’s image-building efforts match reality.All the advertising, public relations and marketing a budget can buy can’t create a positive image for a company if the company can’t deliver product and service satisfaction. The higher customers’ expectations are raised through advertising, the unhappier they will be when a company doesn’t deliver (and they’ll share their story.)
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