Of Mice & Men

picture this..

you see an ad. in the newspaper.. or get a coupon from a reputed sports brand with a "flat 40% discount" only to later discover the fine print (with half a dozen terms & conditions which makes the original bargain ineffective). you feel cheated even before you walk into the store... the marketer is happy that he designed a clever mouse trap. the prospect is just hoping he can still salvage a deal and try not to get screwed.

The problem begins when, as a marketer, you stretch the truth.. when you break the rules of the game. its not that complex from a customers POV.. all the while s/he is thinking..

"ok, you got my attention,
you promised me its going to be a good deal,
im curious.. i want this!
what? i thought you said...
hell.. that's just cheating.
i've had enough of you!"

as marketers, we over complicate the simple stuff.. we over analyze the facts, we're infatuated with what the competition is doing and are misguided by short term traffic drivers/volume builders.. once this happens, we start taking liberties with our customers. that's where the cracks begin to show up.. there is no trust. price & discounts become the only currency.. brand loyalty is an illusion in the marketer's head. its hard to figure out why most brands still opt for well crafted (read deceitful) copy when honesty is such an under-leveraged principal.

the problem with mouse traps is that even when successful they're meant for mice, not men.

the truth is - honesty always works*

*conditions apply