opinion

Marketing Too Honest ?



I’m all for transparency in Marketing...

I believe marketing claims should be clear, straightforward and not overly broad – but confident! In the online processing arena, increased capability, innovation and advancement are usually functions of vision, merchant feedback, and technical programming skills. One aspect I really appreciate in considering our programming and development staff is their ability to always create a better product than the one we requested – more refinements, additional enhancements, easier use and functionality... They really understand the platform, customer behavior, merchant requirements and capabilities, and that’s how they respond. It is personally important to them that our platform potential be the absolute best available.

While reading The Wall Street Journal cover to cover on the way to Montreal recently, I came across an article on the new 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the gamble by this automaker to elevate its image and sales across the board by launching a luxury sedan. It's actually quite a fine looking car and a nice website, and we have all seen Toyota, Nissan and Honda follow this path with luxury entries in their own dealerships as well as through Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. What really got my attention as Neal Boudette wrote about the goals of this economy standard offering a ‘lavish alternative’ to BMW and Mercedes, was his quoting of the Korean manufacturer’s Vice President of Product Development. I was thinking there can actually be too much honesty in marketing. Quotes attributed to VP John Krafcik included the belief by Hyundai that the Genesis can attract a class of non-conformist consumers who want luxury but “are not concerned about the Brand they drive.” The particular admission that made me chuckle was, “We don’t think it’s as good as a BMW 5 Series, but we think you can compare it to a 5 Series.” The lesson to take away here is to be up-front right out of the box; that you are not everything for everyone, but have targeted a niche and will focus your efforts on the complete satisfaction of that niche market.

On a recent panel at Michel Plant's Qwebec Expo in Montreal, and so often in my discussions and email, I maintain that our direct debit platform does not replace any method in your billing cascade; we are always a capability additional to your existing join options – we work best augmenting and in conjunction with what you are already using so you don't miss a join, and of course we just might have some suggestions for maximizing your EU joins based on our experience and expertise ;-) In this regard, I like to think our focus and passion for direct debit joins, helps us perform the best at what we specifically add to your conversion capability.

So let's hear it for more, straightforward marketing!

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