Why the rush to advertise? Because the Board wants to see that we are doing something. Because I want the stock market to see that I’m launching new products. Because it’s a cool thing to do. Who doesn’t like the good party that comes with a product launch, complete with attractive women in shiny dresses with cut outs in all the right places. Advertising makes us feel good. It makes us feel like we are achieving something.
Unfortunately not enough thought and energy is put into making sure that the widgets we advertise work. That the design of the restaurant’s kitchen helps speed of service. That when you make me line up for an hour to encrypt my bank card that it would work when I try to use it at the gas station. That someone will answer the phone when I ring it, including when I call the phone company. That everything I do in my company including the colors on my building, my parking lot attendant and telephone operator influence how people feel about my company and what I try to sell them.
We need to spend a lot more time making sure that our ‘widgets’ work. And every waking day spend even more time trying to make it work better. Only then should we send for the shiny dresses.
