Are Gas Stations Suffering?

I saw the most amazing notice on the gas pumps of my local Exxon station. Stuck on the pump was a small, homemade printed mailing label with information on new surcharges the station was placing on customers. "Due to the high prices of gasoline, a surcharge of $3, plus 40 cents per gallon, will be assessed to all customers using a debit or credit card for their purchase."

I put the pump handle back and drove off.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the high prices of oil have meant record profits for oil companies. And I seem to recall that there has been talk of a recession coming, which has caused commodity prices to drop precipitously. Including oil.

Probably not the best time to be gouging customers at the pump.

So once I got over my indignation (I get fairly impassioned when I see businesses treat their customers poorly. It's just so obvious that it's a bad idea) I began to think of the billions of dollars spent by ExxonMobil to portray itself as a mission-led company. And how quickly that can fall apart in a decentralized or distributor model. But what's Exxon to do? It isn't their fault. It is bad business by a locally-owned station who just happens to carry their gasoline brand. You can't possibly control everything.

True. But that brings me to the pillars of good marketing (especially for companies who aspire to be more than the sum of their products). Authenticity. Relevance. Transparency. If a brand's promise is open and honest, it is less likely to be instantly negated by a homemade sticker, three seconds before the point of purchase. Make your vision clear to all. Make it connect your customer's self-interest to your own. And make your business practices align with your promise. No one minds profit and revenue. It's the cornerstone of everything. But not all revenue is good revenue.

It's also a good reminder for those of us who make these visions come to life with the brand. As David Ogilvy said, "The consumer is not an idiot. She is your wife."

The Closing Ceremony

So it's over. The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics has run its last race, pummeled its last horse, awarded its last dozen or so gold medals to Michael Phelps.

And it was a good one. Two weeks of non-stop Olympic coverage (NBC had more air coverage then hours in a day thanks to all of their networks). Recording breaking ratings -- over 34MM viewers during prime time coverage. Some pretty amazing stories told.

Throughout we've looked at the world's biggest brands try to put their best foot forward. The world's biggest stage is the perfect place to talk about the world's biggest issues. And sustainability certainly is taking center stage.

Looking back at the advertising over the fortnight (we're using our proper English in preparation for the 2012 London Games), this Olympics clearly got a "Green Medal." And that's good news for everybody.

We leave this topic with a few thoughts on what makes good sustainability strategy and messaging (or any messaging, for that matter)—in hopes we see much more of it:

1. Be Synergistic – Don't try to sell trees, if you normally sell widgets. Instead design a widget that is made from trees. Maybe that's not possible, but you get the drift.

2. Be Authentic – As David Ogilvy said, “The consumer is not a moron, she is your wife!” Consumers are smart people. Give them the benefit of the doubt and let them make their own choices. If you are truthful, they will follow.

3. Make it Relevant – The ads that worked best were relevant to the Olympics, the brands, the products and a vision of a more sustainable world. Tall order. But when it works, it really works.

4. Have a Vision – Companies that lead, win. Go ahead and seize the opportunity. Become a sustainability leader.

And most importantly, COLLABORATE.

Brands can't do it all on their own, nor are they expected to. Remember the BP line? "It's a Start.” When a company acknowledges its role in the world, amazing things happen.

After all as the Japanese proverb says, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

(It sure would have been better if it was a Chinese proverb... but oh, well.)