What Can Donald Trump & Bernie Sanders Teach Brands About Being Honest?

thetruthmadesimple.com

WHAT THE DONALD + THE BERN

CAN TEACH BRANDS ABOUT BEING HONEST

http://thetruthmadesimple.com


FIRST OF ALL, WE’RE NOT EXACTLY CURING CANCER.


“Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency.”

—Raymond Chandler, British-American author



WE’RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE

vs


AND NO ONE SEEMS TO TRUST US

Nurses

Pharmacists

Medical Doctors

High School Teachers

Police Officers

Clergy

Accountants

Journalists

Bankers

Lawyers

Real Estate Agents

Business Executives

Stockbrokers

Advertising Practitioners

Car Salespeople

Telemarketers

Members of Congress

Lobbyists

20 40 60 80

788810

1317

2021

2527

3945

5660

6768

85

Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields—very high, high, average, low or very low?

% Very high/High

Most Trusted Professions (Gallup, 2015)


BUT…


WE’RE STILL BETTER THAN POLITICIANS!

(Two percentage points counts for something, right?)



SO WHAT DO DONALD & BERNIE HAVE TO DO WITH BEING HONEST?


MOST IMPORTANT CANDITATE QUALITY?



PRETTY F*CKING

CLOSE!NOMINEE



IN OTHER WORDS…



BEING HONEST {OR BEING PERCEIVED AS HONEST}

WINS



AND WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BRANDING?


WE NO LONGER TRUST BIG INSTITUTIONSConfidence in Institutions (Gallup, 1975-2015)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1975 2015

The Military

Organized ReligionMedical SystemSupreme CourtPublic SchoolsBanksNewspapersBig Business

Congress

I’m going to read you a list of institutions in American society. Please tell me how much confidence you have in each one—a great deal, quite a lot, some or very little?

% Great deal/Quite a lot



Most Trusted Content Sources (Edelman Trust Barometer, 2015)

My friends and family

An academic expert

Companies I use

A journalist

Employees of a company

A company CEO

A well-known online personality

Elected officials

Celebrities

Brands I don't use

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

WE TRUST REAL PEOPLE



vs

BUT MOST BRANDS REFUSE TO CHANGE



#TRUTHBOMB “Institutions have historically kept iron-fisted control over what they communicate, and it shows. They communicate to further their agenda, on their timeline, in ways that are often glossy, airbrushed and convenient. Human communications aren’t as tidy. They involve a willingness to talk about the hard stuff, the ugly stuff. Acknowledge a mistake you made and what you’re doing to make it better. They imply being available to talk—at 2 a.m., if someone desperately needs you right then. People demand the same from how brands tell their stories today—transparency, a willingness to engage on their terms and timeline, acknowledging flaws, and putting forth a plan to improve.”

—Human Era Brand Study, Hill Holliday & Lippincott, 2012



HONESTY CAN BE A SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE, HUMAN

BRAND STRATEGY



FOUR WAYS TO GET REAL


IF YOUR PRODUCT SUCKS ADMIT YOU’RE WRONG, AND THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT

1



IF YOUR PRODUCT IS AWESOME PUT YOUR PRODUCT WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS

2



IF YOUR PRODUCT ISN’T FOR EVERYONE UN-SELL IT TO THE PEOPLE WHO WON’T LIKE IT ANYWAY

3



IF YOUR PRODUCT IS IN A DISHONEST CATEGORY EMBRACE IMPERFECTION

4



IF YOUR PRODUCT IS IN A DISHONEST CATEGORY EMBRACE IMPERFECTION 4



WHY IT WORKS


HONESTY BUILDS TRUST, AND TRUST SELLS

Chose to buy products/servicesRecommended them to a friend/colleague

Shared positive opinions onlineDefended company

Paid moreBought shares

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Refused to buy products/servicesCriticized companies

Shared negative opinionsDisagreed with others

Paid more than wantedSold shares

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Behavior Propensity for Trusted Companies (Edelman, 2016)

Behavior Propensity for Distrusted Companies (Edelman, 2016)



IN CLOSING, LET’S HELP OUR CLIENTS…

BE BETTER BE MORE HONEST BE LIKE DONALD* AND BERNIE

*MINUS THE RACISM, SEXISM & XENOPHOBIA


What Can Donald Trump & Bernie Sanders Teach Brands About Being Honest?

Marketing

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