Are we receiving you?

Words: 300
Reading Time: 1 minute 00 seconds

What message is conveyed by your advertising?

It sounds almost a banal question. Obviously we just read the text, look at the images and voilà we all understand exactly what you mean and we all relate to what you are saying.

If only it were that simple.

There is a large Wells and Young’s warehouse on the A421 that I pass quite often. I noticed yesterday morning that it had several large banners on the outside of the building proclaiming that it was “Pubco of the Year!”

I thought Wells and Young’s were a brewing company. If you go to their website you will find them described as the largest private brewing company in the UK with some of the UK's most loved cask beers and specialty lager brands.

Pubco.s are organizations that are really only interested in the property side of things, are widely condemned for their thoughtlessness and ruthless attitude to their exploited tenants and who have closed down more pubs in recent years in pursuit of a quick buck than anything attributed to the smoking ban.

So why would a brewer want to be associated with such an image – even in passing?

Are Wells and Young’s a respected brewer of fine beers, or just a landlord with their main focus on redevelopment?

Clearly, I’m confused. It's the usual error - thinking others know what we know and therefore what we mean. Unfortunately, the implication is that ALL their marketing spend has gone to waste where I am concerned. How many more are there like me?

Suggestions for all marketeers:
1) Decide on the message;
2) Keep it consistent across all platforms and media;
3) Walk the talk;
4) Check that the message you think you are sending is the one being heard by your audience;
5) Be ready to change what isn’t working.