Fish Story or Real Story?

FedEx loves to tell the story of the dedicated driver who delivers packages on foot after her truck breaks down (notice the driver is female). When her feet tire, she convinces a competitor to give her a ride to her last delivery. Short of ripping off the Post Office's famous tag line, FedEx communicates that its doesn't let little things like broken-down trucks get in the way of fulfilling brand promise.

But be careful what you wish for, especially in clever ads that are constructed by outside agencies that care more about their own Clio award than your long-term brand success. One of the ironclad rules of brand management is, "Make sure what you're saying is actually happening." If not, that big ad budget of yours could actually dilute your brand.

Oh sure, we all stretch the truth a bit in marketing, but when you tell a story like this, think it through a bit. Does it represent your standard way of doing business or is it an exception?

In the case of FedEx:

Did the customers in this story benefit from standard FedEx policy or from the spunk and personal pride of this particular individual?

McKinsey & Company for example, learned early on that success needs to be tied to the firm's brand, not the talents of a single individual. Many consulting firms get caught in the "we'll only buy if you staff Michael Tracey on our engagement" syndrome.

McKinsey consistently avoids this trap by holding all their consultants to the same standard. All McKinsey teams deliver. They are not dependent on the talents of one or two partners.

Assuming the story in the FedEx ad is true, has the firm actually put this behavior into its process and policy? Are drivers instructed and trained to do whatever it takes to deliver? Is it FedEx policy to help the drivers of their competitors in reverse situations? (FedEx marketers get uncomfortable when asked this last question.)

Leaders such as Nordstrom and Ritz Carlton Hotels have found ways to formalize the creativity of the employee. Ritz Carlton for example, grants a discretionary, monthly budget to customer facing employees. The money is used to solve problems or delight customers at the employee's sole discretion.

Sally, a woman cleans rooms, encounters an opportunity to satisfy a guest's frantic need  for a last minute birthday gift, and offers to run over to Tiffany's on her guest's behalf. She returns with a beautifully wrapped candy dish, on the house. Her guest is knocked over by the experience.

The beauty of the Ritz process is that it captures spontaneity. Sally didn't have to get approval from anyone. She acted quickly and creatively. She knows what her budget can accommodate (after all, she owns it). Ritz has a customer for life - and a customer that occasionally recounts her Ritz Carlton experience when she dines with her wealthy friends. It's a real story. And it puts truth behind the Ritz Carlton tag line, "How may we be of assistance?"

Marketers love to use stories, testimonials and case studies to sell because they work. Stories bring brand to life. 

But before you fabricate or stretch a story, make sure it represents what you actually do. Does the story represent how your employees are trained and taught to behave? Or does it illustrate a customer who happened to encounter an exceptional individual?