February 2008

Lessons in Influencing from An 800 Pound Gorilla

The brilliance behind Wal-Mart's new tagline

In my efforts to help clients to improve their ability to influence the actions of both their prospective customers and employees, I am always looking for effective, successful examples.  I recently received one from, of all sources, an 800 pound gorilla!

Good

If I were to say: Always the low price. Always. Who comes to mind?  Its Wal-Mart, of course. The world's largest retailer. A gorilla by any measure.

Better: Less is More

Their slogan was later tweaked to a less redundant version: Always Low Prices.

This minor tweak improved both stickiness and ink consumption while concisely boiling their value proposition down to three simple words. They have effectively used these two variations to communicate their "low prices" for 19 years.

Best

But last November, Wal-Mart scrapped those memorable words to roll out a new tagline...

Save Money. Live Better.

They're changing all of their signs and printed marketing materials like shopping bags, advertisements and truck panels. And for what? Why change after all this time and investment in burning those words into everyone's memory? How is this an improvement?

I, for one, believe it is brilliant. Here's why...

• The slogan is in keeping with the values of founder Sam Walton who was known to proclaim: "We save people money so they can live better".

• It provides a sense of purpose for Wal-Mart associates. This is why they do what they do.

• The word "money" is a primary power word, a proven influencing element missing from their previous slogans.

• Do you remember studying Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs back in college? This slogan serves to address higher order human needs and thereby better connects with prospective customers in low, middle and high income demographics.  So it serves to broaden their appeal.

• The answer to the question: Why is it important to save money? is no longer left to the imagination. It goes beyond stating a rational feature. It describes their benefit and on a higher, more emotional level where most buying decisions are made.

• Which would you prefer: Getting a low price or living better?

So there it is. With four simple words, Wal-Mart is doing a better job of communicating to potential customers and motivating their associates. Its the kind of efficiency we've come to expect from The Waltons.

If you can't beat 'em, why not join 'em?

What about our company's tag line or slogan?  How truly does it convey what you do and why you do it?  Are the customer benefits obviously stated?  If not, is it time to learn from the gorilla and improve your ability to strike a chord with your prospective customers?  In the process, you might even provide a deeper sense of purpose to those who serve them.

Tom Lemanski of Vista Development serves as business catalyst and executive coach in the strategic development of SMARTer, executives, managers and sales professionals. As an accomplished wordsmith Tom has helped clients in both product and service industries to more effectively attract new customers and provide purpose to those who serve them.

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