If you lose credibility on the fact dimension by claiming ‘industry leader’ or other unsubstantiated claim and don’t satisfy a need, you’re going nowhere fast.

Avis’ #2 campaign simultaneously hit the emotional button with the perfect factoid. We like underdogs.

By giving specific proof as Jeff suggests you go a long way towards building that belief necessary to push your prospect over the edge to buy.

If you listen closely to your own conversations how do you talk up a company or a product?

Do you say “I’ve heard it was reviewed in a stack of newspapers” or do you say “I just read an amazing review about it in the Wall St Journal. Jeff Smith gave it his highest recommendation and he usually pans every product they put on his desk.”

Understanding the way we communicate to real live people one on one is a huge key to understanding how to communicate effectively in a sales letter.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

One of my many valuable take-aways from that book is that marketing claims can never successfully violate the audience’s perceived reality. If readers don’t see you as the “Number 1” in your industry, claiming to be the leader will only cause prospects to reject not only that claim, but your entire marketing message. Stated in the positive, it’s a simple principle: always acknowledge your readers’ reality in your copy!

The #2 campaign by Avis proved effective and memorable not only for it’s audacity, but for it’s clever ability to stop fighting this dynamic and turn it to advantage through an emotional appeal. In other words, it changed what people felt about Avis position in the market, rather than trying to change what people already thought they knew about Avis. For more on this technique, see this post on Emotion vs. Logic:

http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/07/12/emotional-perspective-redux/

The beauty behind Avis’ original campaign (the first of which ran way back in 1962) was that they had the guts to risk reputation and prestige by revealing themselves as the #2 car rental company in the industry. It was a risky move since most of us like to associate with a winner. Avis strengthened the message by giving concrete examples of how they try harder to win our business.

The campaign skyrocketed the unprofitable Avis to the #1 spot over then market leader, Hertz.

But over the years Avis lost it’s way, allowing upstart Enterprise to overtake them as champion of the car rental industry. Now after four decades of “trying harder”, Avis finds itself once again in the #2 spot, and has gone back to using the “We try harder” pitch in an attempt to regain it’s marketing mojo.

But it won’t work.

Why? Because, Avis curiously dropped the “We’re #2″ part of the slogan, and with it went all credibility. As Jeff has been teaching us, without concrete proof of their actions Avis’ claim remains unsubstantiated.

Admittedly though, it’s hard to convince the public you’re trying hard enough when after 45 years of effort you’re still #2. It’s time for Avis to adopt a new strategy.

Sorry for the long post

http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/11/26/superior-customer-service/

Much of its power comes from the fact that it has the bold audacity to go directly against one of the Seven Deadly Claims.