Truth Well Told.
For more than a century, this has been the platform of McCann, today a leading global advertising agency.
To me, these few words say volumes. Boiled down, one interpretation is that companies telling the truth—then telling the world about it—can succeed far beyond clever catchphrases and compelling creative strategies and tactics.
This is ironic, given that McCann—along with advertising agencies in general—dedicate themselves to clever catchphrases and compelling creative.
In essence, this century-plus old statement is more important than ever. It is the basis of how companies established and maintained positive relationships with customers/clients, employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders throughout history. Say what you do, do what you say—then let word-of-mouth do the rest—have been the cornerstones of successful commerce. This is especially true of small business, where traditionally survival hinges on building trust, being likeable, and showing/earning respect.
Unfortunately, in today’s world of commerce, government, and politics, “lie, cheat, steal” has become the norm. “Trust, like, respect” are in very short supply at the top levels of each sector. Power and greed prevail—opening an opportunity for honesty and transparency to shine ever-more-brightly.
In turn, this offers competitive advantage and ultimately benefits the bottom line. Some sizeable businesses, such as Costco, live by “trust, like, respect” every day. And they’re profiting from it. They did it largely through word-of-mouth, which then spread globally through digital communications and social media. To this day, Costco has no formal advertising and marketing department.
Along the way, they take care of customers, reward employees, and honor other stakeholders. Interestingly, their Board of Directors, in sharp contrast to many companies, refused to discontinue their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program in the face of pressure from the current Trump Administration.
‘Virtue thrives under oppression’
“Virtue thrives under oppression” is the motto associated with the McCann coat of arms (yes, there’s a connection between the clan and Harrison King McCann, founder of the H. K. McCann Company that evolved to become McCann Erickson).
One way to interpret this statement is that people facing major difficulties become a strong force for “trust, like, respect” in their revolt against lies, cheating, and stealing. They counter injustice by supporting those who want to do good—not just do well on a balance sheet.
Marketing Takeaways for companies seeking to beat competitors and bottom line projections
As consumers encounter ever-growing “Lie, Cheat, Steal” experiences, their yearning for “Trust, Like, Respect” is stronger than ever. Company takeaways include:
For more than a century, this has been the platform of McCann, today a leading global advertising agency.
To me, these few words say volumes. Boiled down, one interpretation is that companies telling the truth—then telling the world about it—can succeed far beyond clever catchphrases and compelling creative strategies and tactics.
This is ironic, given that McCann—along with advertising agencies in general—dedicate themselves to clever catchphrases and compelling creative.
In essence, this century-plus old statement is more important than ever. It is the basis of how companies established and maintained positive relationships with customers/clients, employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders throughout history. Say what you do, do what you say—then let word-of-mouth do the rest—have been the cornerstones of successful commerce. This is especially true of small business, where traditionally survival hinges on building trust, being likeable, and showing/earning respect.
Unfortunately, in today’s world of commerce, government, and politics, “lie, cheat, steal” has become the norm. “Trust, like, respect” are in very short supply at the top levels of each sector. Power and greed prevail—opening an opportunity for honesty and transparency to shine ever-more-brightly.
In turn, this offers competitive advantage and ultimately benefits the bottom line. Some sizeable businesses, such as Costco, live by “trust, like, respect” every day. And they’re profiting from it. They did it largely through word-of-mouth, which then spread globally through digital communications and social media. To this day, Costco has no formal advertising and marketing department.
Along the way, they take care of customers, reward employees, and honor other stakeholders. Interestingly, their Board of Directors, in sharp contrast to many companies, refused to discontinue their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program in the face of pressure from the current Trump Administration.
‘Virtue thrives under oppression’
“Virtue thrives under oppression” is the motto associated with the McCann coat of arms (yes, there’s a connection between the clan and Harrison King McCann, founder of the H. K. McCann Company that evolved to become McCann Erickson).
One way to interpret this statement is that people facing major difficulties become a strong force for “trust, like, respect” in their revolt against lies, cheating, and stealing. They counter injustice by supporting those who want to do good—not just do well on a balance sheet.
Marketing Takeaways for companies seeking to beat competitors and bottom line projections
As consumers encounter ever-growing “Lie, Cheat, Steal” experiences, their yearning for “Trust, Like, Respect” is stronger than ever. Company takeaways include:
- An ever-increasing opportunity to beat the competition (and bottom-line predictions) by doing what’s right by all stakeholders—including customers/clients and employees. Think Costco, whose customer service is legendary. In addition, they honor their employees with good wages, favorable working conditions, and exemplify trust, likeability, and respect at every turn. (In my view, companies like Costco already are honoring DEI without needing to have formal policies in place.)
- Ultimately, painstakingly, the tide will turn back toward truth and trust—in corporate America, as well as government and politics. But, for now, consumers need to be on guard constantly.
- In the future, corporate America will be clearly delineated into two camps. The lie, cheat, and steal camp will see ever-accelerating rates of decline as consumers gravitate toward trust, like, and respect—choosing to patronize companies whose marketing claims reflect and match their performance.
