February 2006

 “Perception is reality.” You have heard the expression many times. It is a phrase that I believed wholeheartedly as a marketer for many years. However, now I challenge that notion.

 The premise of the saying states that you are what you are perceived to be. In other words, regardless of the depths of what is factual and actual, the reality of a situation is measured by what others think it to be. Therefore, perception is reality even if it is not entirely accurate.

 Politics provide a great example. For instance, say “Congressman Jerry” seeks to pass a law to make penalties against drunk driving stiffer. The public perception in Jerry taking this stance, is that the Congressman is a champion of the people who truly cares about their well-being. Therefore in the public forum, using that perception it quickly becomes the reality. However, the truth of the matter reveals that Congressman Jerry cares little about his fellow man, but strongly aspires to use such legislation to score those valuable  political points with his constituents. The truth is that Jerry’s motivation is getting re-elected and not concern for the safety of his fellow man. However, the  pseudo-reality emerges because of the humanitarian perception. Jerry is eager to take advantage of the ole adage—Perception is Reality, with the truth nicely concealed behind the expression. After all, if Jerry’s public perception is warm and fuzzy, his odds of another term in office increase considerably.

 With this in mind, the saying seems to be quite true. So, do you see the connection between advertising and the saying? In times past (and maybe present), advertisers have thrived on a great 'perception' being 'reality,' even if the facts of the matter were conveniently hidden. Branding takes a different tact. In the world of Brand Building the ultimate benchmark is the following: Reality is Reality.

In July of 2005, the Set Your Sights article discussed “How Advertising Got a Bad Name.” To summarize, advertising evolved with a negative perception simply because claims that were advertised did not live up to what the customer personally experienced. With that in mind, advertising grew into an industry of ill repute that was synonymous with exaggeration and, quite often point-blank lies. Advertising was capitalizing on that saying, ‘Perception is Reality,’ by hoping that a customer’s actual experiences with a company would be washed away by the perception the company was trying to create. The strategy of Branding is different. Branding works to make reality, the reality and not a mere warm-fuzzy perception. Therefore, Advertising as a component of Branding, seeks to accurately reflect what the customer will indeed experience with the company. It seeks to build a relationship based on what the company truly is and stands for.

 When building a brand, one of the first things I do is sit down with employees and customers in interview or focus group settings. My goal is to identify what the Reality of working for or with that company truly is about. The most effective way to build a brand is to hone in on that company’s Reality. For example, when building a brand for a daycare, focus groups revealed that parents felt a strong sense of guilt for sending their kids to an after-school program. However, that guilt was quickly alleviated if the child had fun. Conveniently, the one word the parents and employees associated with that daycare was ‘Fun.’ Their Reality was Fun, which made building a brand identity around this concept easy. Therefore, as the brand evolved, what customers continually experienced in regards to the daycare center was the Reality being lived by the daycare center. Advertising reflected Fun—as did all marketing communications materials.

In times past, advertising operated under the Perception is Reality motto. However, with Brand Building, Reality is Reality, because branding recognizes the importance of reflecting what a company is truly about and not just what it aspires to be or wants others to believe it to be. The damage inflicted to the advertising industry under the guise that people would cling to the old expression, ‘Perception is Reality’, will slowly be overtaken by the more accurate approach offered by Brand-Building: ‘Reality is Reality.’

What is your company truly all about? Find out and then make sure your marketing communication program mirrors those ideas so that your Reality is indeed the Reality experienced by your customers.

 © All Rights Reserved. Matthew Scott Trueblood and BrandVision Marketing. 2005-2006.

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