People often put out marketing messages that are inconsistent with the implicit messages conveyed by their businesses, and find that their marketing has not worked.

Imagine taking a car to a garage on the basis of the excellent professional service you have seen advertised, only to find an untidy, disorganised, back street space run by a man in jeans and t-shirt. Would you entrust your car to them? You might receive great service, but the marketing message is confused by the messages portrayed by the garage.

When the big supermarkets’ sales were being eroded by low-cost operators like Aldi and Lidl, they introduced value ranges to compete. But they found that many customers didn’t buy these products even though they were the same price and quality. The value supermarkets had consistency in their messages and their brands, while the big supermarkets didn’t. It appears that people didn’t feel they were getting good value from an inexpensive product being sold in a more expensive-looking shop.

Pause to reflect

• Go outside your pharmacy. Cross the road and look at it. What messages does it convey to you? 
• Stand in the doorway and look in. What message are you getting?
• Is this consistent with the message you would like your customers to receive?