“It’s our people that make the difference.”

From a client in my inbox this morning:

Tim,

What would you think about developing a campaign around the idea that what makes our company different from our competitors is “It’s the PEOPLE, plain and simple”?

R.

My reply:

Hi R,

I’m for it with conditions.

“It’s our people” is one of advertising’s great cliches.

Everybody thinks their people rock – even your competitors – and they believe it even when it’s often profoundly untrue.

Therefore, we can’t tell listeners it’s your people. We have to show them.

I will need several stories – at least six – that substantiate your claim. I would preferably like them told by your customers and not you or your guys. That gives them more credibility.

Plus, that’s not enough of a campaign to stand on its own. Many people don’t trust testimonials and prefer substantiation of a different kind. Luckily for us, we have another great campaign running with our guarantees and straightforward pricing.

Hope that makes sense. I’d love to talk with you tomorrow or Wednesday morning to flesh this out a bit.

Thank you!

Tim