Whenever I hear the words, “we’re changing the way X does Y,” where X is either “America” or “business,” and Y is anything from “laundry” to “customer service,” I make a mental note to revisit that company and brand in a year or two. One of the fundamental truths of life is that marketing cannot change consumer behavior. Certain product innovations can bring about major shifts in consumptive behavior (I’m thinking of the personal computer, cars, Starbucks, disposable diapers, etc.), but once the product is in the hands of the consumer and they are using it, marketing can’t fundamentally change the way it is perceived.
Think about it. Even though quality measures put GM and Toyota neck-and-neck at the top of the industry, GM’s fortunes don’t look a lot like Toyota’s, and in large part that is because of poor quality reputation (ho-hum styling and marketing’s reliance on brand-diluting discounts to move metal haven’t helped, either). When projecting your brand across the Atlantic, it is tempting to believe that its basic proposition can remain unchanged. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reading today’s Sunday New York Times, I think I have an example that makes it quite clear.
In the April 9, 2006 Sunday Business section, Richard Sambrook, of BBC World, was asked to comment on the buzz about Katie Couric leaving NBC to become the anchor (you Brits would call her the presenter) for CBS News. “The fact that Katie Couric’s being poached from NBC by CBS is such a big deal demonstrates how much American network news is still organized around big talent,” Mr. Sambrook is quoted as saying. “I would put newsgathering and coverage ahead of talent.” While he concedes that the BBC will need “one or two faces who will be recognized as the face of BBC North America,” he comments that the BBC “will never have anybody who rivals Brian Williams or Katie Couric,” concluding that, “people come to the BBC for international news, not to see one particular presenter.”
And therein lies the fundamental flaw in the BBC’s strategy. Why shouldn’t Americans come to the BBC for reasons that parallel our consumption of news elsewhere on our television? With so many talented U.S. news professionals capable of taking on such a challenge, you would think that the BBC could put an American face on its product, and perhaps even more importantly, orient itself around the journalistic model that drives the TV news business here in the U.S. – the anchor as editor-in-chief and chief correspondent. Though almost always from a journalistic background, they’re called presenters in the U.K. because that’s what they are. Here in the U.S., our anchors are expected to continue as active reporters, in the model of Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite and now, Brian Williams and Katie Couric.
My prediction is that BBC will continue to be a curiosity on the U.S. media buffet table (along with mince pie, the Christmas treat that really could use a more appealing name). It will continue to appeal only to a very small segment until it takes what is best about its brand (its vaunted news gathering capability, quality of analysis and reputation for impartiality – which could be a real draw in today’s polarized media circus) and marries it with what is expected in the U.S. market; an anchor of some gravitas who leads us through the news and demonstrates a consistent and significant involvement in the reporting process itself.
If there’s a larger theme here, it’s that we often see U.K. brand owners thinking that they can “educate” or otherwise raise up their U.S. clients and prospects to a British sensibility and worldview. This, for most marketers, is a pipe dream. You don’t have the marketing budgets to truly educate us (I still am unsure about the dietary uses of Christmas pudding and while I’ve enjoyed mince pie, something like “spiced fruit pie” sounds much more appealing). And, why bother educating the market at all? It seems a complete waste of time and money. Wouldn’t you prefer to sell things to consumers the way they already think about them – and put advertising, public relations and promotion dollars into activities that bring in profits?
It’s a lesson that looks as though may finally have been learned by GM as it once again tries to build the presence of its Cadillac luxury division in Europe. The brand is enjoying resurgence in the U.S., but previous attempts to export it foundered because the cars didn’t match the expectations of European buyers. In the U.K., Europe’s second largest car market (and probably the one with the most potential for affinity with Cadillac), many models were doomed to a tiny niche before they even began because they weren’t available in right-hand drive. Can you imagine the Japanese not offering left-hand drive to the U.S. market?
This time around, Cadillac is offering three models out of six with right-hand drive, with more expected in the future. Its latest addition, the BLS, even goes so far as to offer a manual gearbox and turbodiesel engine – absolute must-haves in Europe. Question marks over quality and handling remain alongside premium badge rivals, but it’s clear that GM has recognized that for Cadillac to succeed it must repackage its brand values in a way that suits the market. Our prediction is that Cadillac will have its best ever sales in Europe with the BLS, because the company has sought to appeal to rather than educate consumers.
When attempting to build a transatlantic presence, American and British companies need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Elements of a product that seem sacrosanct are not necessarily part of its brand and should be dumped if they’re holding it back. Style and luxury are Cadillac brand values, gas-guzzling engines and soggy suspension are not. Industry-leading newsgathering and objective reporting are BBC News brand values, British-style presentation is not. Many aspects of a product can be hard to let go of, especially for those wrapped in tradition or with a deeply rooted identity. However, if they’re not appreciated by your cousins across the ocean then they can become an insurmountable obstacle. Don’t let ignorance, misunderstanding or pride get in the way of your success!
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