Hanks Auto: Propane, Keys, Milk, Guns and Bait Does your message lack focus?

By Jared Smith - Incite Solutions Inc.

Last summer my wife Jess and I took our vacation in the mountains. During a particularly long drive I noticed a sign on the side of the road that caught my attention. It was hammered up onto a post next to a service station and it read, "Hanks Auto: Propane, Keys, Milk, Guns and Bait." Unfortunately for Jess, this innocent sign spurred on a speech in our car on the benefits of "brand focus" that lasted for almost 2 hours. At one point I realized Jess was actually sleeping through my rant; however, I blindly continued until we saw a goat on the road and she subtly changed the subject (as a biologist, my wife likes goats and other furry creatures).

From my perspective, Hank's Auto made a major marketing blunder when he put up that sign. At Incite, we see a similar phenomena in businesses all around us. We refer to it as "Hank's Blunder", and it all relates to the amazing power of focus in marketing.

Whether you are selling auto repair, legal, accounting, consulting, or engineering services, the real challenge for marketers is to improve your prospective clients' confidence and trust in your ability to deliver. Unfortunately, history shows that messaging lacking in focus can not only generate a sense of confusion, but can also reduce confidence and decrease perceived value in the minds of your prospective buyers.

Case Example: Starbucks. Think about Starbucks and what comes to mind? Coffee? Starbucks understands the power of focus in marketing. I have yet to see a Starbucks sign, advertisement or brochure that reads, "Starbucks: coffee, tea, cider, tea pots, mugs, gum, muffins, cookies, hot chocolate, granola bars, juice, prime real estate and vanilla syrup!" Organizations are often reluctant to focus their messaging fearing that they will limit their sales in various divisions. Starbucks focuses all of its messaging on one thing, they use "coffee" to get us in the door - and yet the majority of Starbucks' revenues come from things other than coffee!

What does the sign outside your business say? What do you tell your prospects on your brochures, literature, advertisements and Web site? Do you have a specific, focused message that will generate confidence in the minds of your prospects, acting as a wedge to get them in the door, or are you committing Hank's Blunder?

Contact Incite Solutions Inc. to talk to us about the "Branding and Messaging" component of our successful outsourced marketing program.