Last week I wrote about Teflon brands. Think K-Mart, McDonalds, Microsoft, Tom Cruise... In the old days they were everywhere. Shiny and huge, impossible to ignore.
No matter what we might feel, they controlled the messaging. Tom Cruise's publicist was famous for controlling access to the star, even approving and helping pick out questions he could be asked.
We might have wished for more, for something better, but they managed what we could see so closely, it was hard to see inside.
Now these Teflon brands are wearing out. We see pockmarks, pimples and stains. Microsoft can no longer cover up a shoddy update with chic advertising. The truth is still there, still being discussed and seen by all.
And we see huge brands easily falter, telling STORIES that just don't match their STUFF. When they tell us their french fries are healthy, or their software's the best... Like the hotels who ask us to re-use our towels, saving water, saving earth. And yet they leave the room's air cranked down to 60 in July. Well, we just don't believe their mere Story anymore...
And their falter is your opportunity. Because you aren't a giant corporation, pretending to care. You're a real person, filled with compassion and skill.
So show us who you are. Give us STORIES we can believe in, then back them up with action. If you see a good chance, go for it! No need to be perfect. The world's tired of Teflon. Show us how you're made of truth. Show us how you're made of steel!