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There's
a little secret I discovered on my first trip to Ireland some 18 years
ago.
It's that nothing beats sitting inside a neighborhood pub in front of a
crackling peat fire on a rainy evening sipping a freshly-pulled pint of
stout or ale while listening to local musicians play their hearts out.
Luckily it's a pleasure I've experienced many times since.
One of brews I
latched onto during those early days is a red ale called Smithwick's.
It's since become widely available in the U.S., so I usually make sure
I have a few bottles on hand at home.
But something
happened a couple of weeks ago
that got me wondering whether the folks at Ireland's oldest brewery
have 
been sampling a wee too much of their own medicine.
Standing in front of the display case at the beer store, I scanned back
and forth looking for the familiar green, gold and red label. Nothing.
Then it caught my eye - a nondescript red box with the Smithwick's
name barely visible.
At first I thought they had introduced a new style of beer. But it
turned out that it was the old stuff in a new wrapper.
Not that there's
nothing wrong with that. Brands
periodically update their logos and packaging designs.
But this new design
just didn't seem right...
- The box's solid
red color doesn't stand out among the eye-catching designs of other
imported and craft beers.
- The Smithwick's
name, now written in smaller white block letters, gets lost in that sea
of red.
- The iconic
abbey tower - apparently redrawn by Salvador Dali - dominates the
label, making the name even harder to recognize.
Here's the kicker:
When I took a bottle out of the box, I saw that the serving size is now
11.2 ounces instead
of the usual 12.
The nerve. I felt betrayed by their hiding the smaller serving size
behind a brand remake!
But
then I realized that there was a bigger communication lesson to be had.
Namely, the importance of considering the customer's point of view when
creating communications.
Here are a few example trends that show what I mean...
- Messing
with the brand. Consumers find
comfort in the stability of their favorite brands - like me and Smithwick's.
It's a lesson that others, such as Tropicana
and Gap,
learned the hard way. They updated their brands only to revert to the
originals in response to customer blowback.
Emotional attachment is less significant in B2B. Still, brand changes
are more meaningful to the marketplace if
made in response to real customer needs
rather than for cosmetic reasons.
- The
new website. Companies
frequently redesign their sites. But too many do so simply to make the
site look glitzy or because the boss said so.
The best
redesigns have business goals behind them.
Like to improve user experience, provide easier access to the right
content, increase conversions, strengthen customer service or integrate
the site more closely with other digital assets.
- The
thought leadership bandwagon.
Too often what passes for thought leadership is neither thoughtful nor
leading. But ask yourself,
"Are my customers and buyers even looking for that kind of stuff?"
Because the truth is you may be better off creating content that
addresses the day-to-day problems, concerns and challenges that they
face - in an insightful, entertaining and non-promotional way.
- Camouflage.
Whether intended or not, Smithwick's
decision to change their brand and reduce the serving size seems more
than coincidence. Better to
deal with product, service or price changes separately and directly.
It's a more considerate approach that gives customers time to absorb
the rationale without feeling like they've been blindsided.
The bottom line:
Whether you're a creating a content plan, designing a new marketing
campaign, or updating your brand, things go smoother if you start with
this simple, basic question, "How will this change better serve our
customers and buyers?"
Because you don't want to end up crying in your beer.
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