Thanks, Safeway!

Safeway brings us yet another marketing lesson.

Mercifully, they’ve dropped the “Ingredients for Life” campaign. In its place we have a benefits-oriented campaign focusing, at least in part, on produce. The new tagline: “Our fruit is not just picked, it’s chosen.”

That's great! Now that's a good reason to choose Safeway. I mean, that is, it's a good reason if they actually do have a better selection process. But wait, if this were true, if Safeway was truly superior in this respect, why are they so vague about it? From what I've seen they're about as good as the other guys.

So what's the marketing lesson? The lesson is this: Vague claims are weak because someone who is even slightly cynical about marketing messages (almost everyone) will instinctively discount the claim to match the impression they already had.

Firm claims, toothy claims, on the other hand, can change opinions and behavior. Why? Because they limit how much someone can discount them.

Consider what would motivate you more:

1. "We're lightning fast!"
2. "We deliver within 24 hours or it's free."

As Word Mercenary, Chris Haddad, is fond of saying, "marketing is the art of making a promise and keeping it." He's right. So if your claim is true, turn it into a promise and put some teeth into it. If it's not true -- if it's just hype -- then you're going to be ignored, and well.. you probably deserve it.