Sending Mixed Signals with Messaging

If I were in Congress, I’d give those auto executives a single chance to get their stories straight. I’d just ask them this one question: “Where are you staying in DC tonight?” If the answer was “a friend’s apartment,” “Motel Six,” or something equally economical, I’d consider voting them the money. But if they told me, “The Ritz Carlton” or “The Four Seasons,” I’d send them packing.

Nothing against those fine establishments, but how can you possibly be serious about saving your nearly bankrupt business if you’re expensing a room that runs between $500 and $1,000 a night?

Talk to any marketing professional and they’ll tell you that consistency is the foundation of effective communications. But there’s more to consistency than saying the same thing over and over again. You must make sure what you say is completely aligned with what you do.

Otherwise, you can build paramount awareness but completely blow your credibility.

Which may be exactly what Detroit is doing. The big 3 car companies are working diligently to draw attention to their message. Some executives even drove down from Michigan to help make their point. Congress clearly understands the gravity of the situation, yet there’s no real enthusiasm on Capitol Hill (or anywhere else) for a rescue? Why not? Possibly because automakers haven’t done anything (or at least enough) to suggest they’ll use the money wisely and won’t have to come back for more.

In other words, their communications lack consistency—the kind related to believability, not repetition. It’s a tough way to learn that there’s more to messaging than staying on point (or making a few symbolic gestures). But when the stakes are highest, action (or the lack of it) speaks so loudly no one can hear any of the words.

And oh yes, if they’re paying for those expensive rooms out of their own pockets, that’s a sightly different story. Will it be different enough? We’ll find out when we see what kind of help they finally get.