Financial Articles

I encourage you using controversy to differentiate your business from your competitors. But when you do, you’d better know what you are doing.

A Mitsubishi dealership in Columbus, OH recently decided to run “A Jihad on the automotive market” ad campaign that declares, “Our prices are lower than evildoers’ everyday, just ask the Pope”.

I don’t think everybody who hears the message on the radio takes it well. However, the dealership accomplished one goal — they got everybody’s attention. National media picked up the news and talked about the incident and it’s obviously making them more famous but not necessarily popular.

Being controversial does not demonstrate your advantage. Those who hear the marketing message need to know how their message focuses on them and what kind of problem this dealership solves.

But what is the center of this ad campagin? Their message mentions how their dealership offers vehicles at lower prices than others (you hear this from every cardealership in every city).

In the past, I mentioned in a different article how you should not guarantee the lowest price especially if you are in the car business. Because in the automobile industry, the market demands certain pricing for vehicles and lowering the prices should not be your selling proposition. But packaging the right products with services at fair prices should be.

So what does this message accomplish? In my opinion, it accomplishes nothing because their message confuses the market with “silly” proposal that uses rather controversial and offensive theme. Whoever listening to this radio ad cannot help but to think,

“Huh?”

It’s silly and just repeats the same old, “We guarantee the lowest prices if you can qualify” message.

Instead, I would rather see “a war against the industry”. The market demands change in the industry and if this dealership steps up to be the first one in the city to completely change the perception of the business, it will be controversial and effective.

When CarMax Inc. first came into the used car industry, analysts and critics didn’t think it would do well, offering fixed prices and paying sales people flat commission.

But it worked because their move was bold, controversial and daring but not silly like this Columbus dealership campaigned their ad. CarMax’s message articulates their advantages when compares to all the other competitors while completely focusing their marketing campagin to the interest of the audience. That is controversial but the business certainly knows what they are doing.

They craft marketing messages only after conducting market research, and doesn’t run “Let’s wear ‘burquas’ and dress like Islamic women!” high school like silly marketing campaign.

If you use controversy in your marketing campaign, please craft your proposition according to what the market demands and how you can solve their problem.

Being controversy will get your attention you deserve but being silly and poking a little fun at sensetive events will hurt your credibility more than you bargain for.

It takes years to build your reputation but only takes a day to destroy it. Be careful what you wish for when creating a buzz.