The Miracle of Truth.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Admitting a mistake as an individual before the problem has been fully discovered takes courage. Proactively admitting a mistake as a company takes a miracle. In many cases, people and companies alike won't admit a misstep unless there's no other viable option. Even in doing so, some will twist things around in an attempt to deflect ownership of their mistake in order to transfer part of the blame to someone else. At the end of the day, people want to look good, or at least not look bad, and they will do and say whatever is necessary to preserve how they look.

A change is coming.

Through the use of social media, consumers are voicing their opinions in the open and companies are responding. Customers are providing ratings, rankings, and recommendations, and companies are paying attention. While not all the comments are authentic, and not all the ratings are honest, companies are looking for ways to improve their reputation. There is an exchange of ideals being transferred between companies and consumers, resulting in a new currency of honesty that some companies are already taking to the bank.

People have long been astonished when someone tells the honest truth, and no one was ever shocked by someone telling lies. The standard seems to be backward. Because of social media, however, truth is becoming the new black. For example, when the CEO of Domino's Pizza used their advertising budget to launch the "Our pizza sucks" campaign on TV, consumers responded positively. The customer had been saying that Domino's pizza sucked, and the company did something unexpected by agreeing openly. When Domino's admitted their mistakes on national television, the consumer became curious to see if the pizza had gotten any better, and they ordered delivery at record levels.

It was a miracle.

As marketers, we strive to create messaging for the company from a position of strength, and to shine a positive light on the features and benefits of the products we're selling. Meanwhile, the customers may not be in agreement with such claims. Promoting a message that is not in alignment with public perception can further demote the company's reputation. Understandably, being known for dishonesty will have an adverse effect on revenue, and you can't make that up in volume.

In an age when the voice of the customer has become louder and more trusted than the statements of a company, it is becoming more important to listen than it is to speak. When you do speak, however, I encourage you to speak the truth...even when the truth hurts because it is as today's fortune says, "When you speak honestly and openly, others truly listen to you."