The importance of integrity in delivering engaged audiences

Above: the Golden Cockerel Press was a producer of high value, limited editions of the highest quality. The Press was clearly proud of the work which went into each volume, creating an audience of dedicated book collectors.

A common misconception in marketing communications is that it is not necessary to be 100% accurate, provided that no one is fundamentally misled. I hold, however, that integrity and credibility are fundamental to loyalty and long term engagement.

The importance of integrity in marketing message

We know from much of today's political scene that if words lack integrity they are meaningless. If words are not created within a framework of commonly understood norms of decency and truth, they cease to be credible.

Misleading marketing must not be seen as a legitimate consequence of living in a post-truth world.

The importance of integrity can never be understated. Integrity in marketing is about understanding a customer's mindset and showing, truthfully, how you relate to that customer and intend to serve their needs.

Integrity is not about bogus claims but claims which can be tested at every level - and can therefore be legitimately tested as being truthful.

We often see today the words "designed in the UK" and the Union Flag next to the claim, as if such a statement carries meaning and a badge of nationality asserts some form of truth.

But if a product is designed in the UK but made elsewhere, is the use of the Union Flag a legitimate badge or is it deception? If an organisation uses such methods, is it guilty of mind games and mendacity?

Arguably, in this instance, "designed in the UK" is not a benefit but a feature. If the Union Flag is used alongside such a feature, greater integrity would surely be shown by having a Chinese (or relevant) flag next to where the product was made.

Integrity is about being honest with people. Honesty delivers understanding, which is critical when an audience is able to justify why they engage with a given organisation.

The importance of credibility in marketing

A discerning customer is what every organisation desires. Someone who is passionate enough about an organisation not just to engage with it, financially or otherwise, but to extol its virtues to others.

A customer can be discerning no matter what they buy - from burgers to Bentleys. While everyone has a budget, very few people don't have standards. It is rare indeed that one person does not tell another about something they have bought which they like.

It is in this transaction - the post purchase transaction of pleasure (let's call this the PPTP) - that credibility is critical. Whatever it is that makes you most proud of your product, service or organisational deliverable, must be conveyed convincingly and credibly.

So whatever you claim in your marketing, make sure that it can be justified by fact. Even if you have a strapline which some brand agency asserts "evokes the spirit" of your brand, under no circumstances take the view that it is the strapline which defines your credibility.

If audiences like your offering, and have the tools at their disposal to justify their purchase, they will use these tools if a friend challenges their decision to engage with you.

Integrity and credibility are fundamental to PPTP but also to long term engagement. If an organisation makes claims about itself to its customer base, it has a duty to uphold those standards to ensure loyalty.

If an organisation only uses marketing words, without the fundamental deeds to back them up, the likelihood of long term relationships with customers is remote.

The endless pursuit of a "rebrand" tells you all you need to know about whether you have integrity and credibility in your marketing. In marketing message, it's not so much "deeds not words" that matter; it's "deeds and words".

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About the author

Michael Smith is a writer and communicator. He works with clients and their teams to help focus their message to their own client base and to engender better understanding between all parties