There's a lot in the press of late about Depression 2.0 perhaps coming to an end and the impact such an end will have on the advertising industry. Many have written about a rebound of television advertising, or a shift to online media, or the continued surge in mobile advertising and social networks.
Amid all this blather, marketers and their agencies are ignoring perhaps the most important marketing channel of all: Customer Service. That is, how does a brand work when you are actually interacting with them.
Now, according to most TV spots, there's always a blonde--a pretty one at that--on the other end of the phone. Never someone from the sub-continent who couldn't pronounce 'Tannenbaum' if you tutored him for a month. Big box retailers always have some helpful fellow in a blue vest who can help you rewire your whole home in 20 minutes or less, without blowing a literal or figurative fuse. Car dealers are always helpful, never hard-sell shysters. And there's always someone perky behind the counter to accurately ring up your charges and speed you on your way.
Unfortunately in real life, brands don't work the way their commercials say they do. So when you do interact with a brand not only are you disappointed by the service they provide, you also feel lied to.
My two cents say this: if you want to fix your brand, don't just try to create a better TV commercial--that's not enough. Try to create a better brand.
