There is a certain mindset that a number of businesses still have and marketing people seem to continue to base their efforts on, even though I think it’s quite a wrong and misleading approach; it’s the idea of claiming that they are the first, the best, the only or whatever other superlative they can come up with.
If you think of it, do these words really mean anything at all?
What does it mean if a company is the first to offer a certain product or service, if the second or third are doing it much better? It’s clear being first doesn’t necessarily mean having the best solution; It does show experience in some cases, but having experience without using it to roll out a quality product adds up to nothing really.
The best? Who said so? It’s definitely not for businesses to claim anyway. Being the best is really relative, and it’s up to the client to decide which solution fits their specific personal needs the best.
Many varying factors come into play that define what any given client views as the perfect solution for their needs, and obviously there isn’t one answer to everyone’s requirements.
And finally is there really anyone doing anything online that they’re the only ones doing? Unless it’s a totally useless or crazy idea, chances are a number of other people have already thought about it too, and have either launched a similar project or will be launching it soon enough. And even if the business does manage to be the first at something, it’s basically only a matter of time before someone rolls out something similar, if not better.
So obviously these superlatives mean nothing at all, and all they do is take the focus off what really matters: building a great product.
What I’d love to hear more businesses honestly saying is: “We’ve listened to your needs, we’ve done our very best to meet them, and here’s how…”
man, i cant take this lying and stupid phrases anymore, i always ask myslef how do you know your number one, how do they know that there the best, is there a certian website that sez that or its only in there minds. And as you said what does first have to do with it, many companies come in later with much better services, i guess its the prevoius generation mindset that are the business handlers of such cliams, we just have to wait when our time comes to manage such companies that have a huge marketing impact on society. Great Post BTW
man, i cant take this lying and stupid phrases anymore, i always ask myslef how do you know your number one, how do they know that there the best, is there a certian website that sez that or its only in there minds. And as you said what does first have to do with it, many companies come in later with much better services, i guess its the prevoius generation mindset that are the business handlers of such cliams, we just have to wait when our time comes to manage such companies that have a huge marketing impact on society. Great Post BTW
Well, there are some things that are measurable. For example, Google can say that they are the #1 English search engine in the world, and nobody can claim otherwise. The other superlatives are more subjective however, and i agree. So, no company can say .. “we are the best at doing this” … because being best is subjective and it depends on the user.
Well, there are some things that are measurable. For example, Google can say that they are the #1 English search engine in the world, and nobody can claim otherwise. The other superlatives are more subjective however, and i agree. So, no company can say .. “we are the best at doing this” … because being best is subjective and it depends on the user.
nice article & i totally agree with you , this approach of marketing is so awful, and the problem is these people just stick to this way & they love it
nice article & i totally agree with you , this approach of marketing is so awful, and the problem is these people just stick to this way & they love it
IMHO, the worst is when some company says it’s “the first in “. the only thing they demonstrate is they don’t have a clue.
come on. this, is the internet people. if you make a search engine, you compete with google. period.
IMHO, the worst is when some company says it’s “the first in “. the only thing they demonstrate is they don’t have a clue.
come on. this, is the internet people. if you make a search engine, you compete with google. period.
Great post Mohammed. It seems like the only sales pitch many vendors here in Dubai use. And guess what, then you end up with crappy service. What a surprise.
This also reminds me of Du, the second telecom operator in UAE. They were really eager to shout about how they were going to be the “first” to roll out great new services and 1,5 year after launch people still have issues with the basic services like calls being dropped and SMS’s not arriving. Especially in this region it’s a lot more about talk than actual delivering what you promise.
Great blog! Keep it up!
Great post Mohammed. It seems like the only sales pitch many vendors here in Dubai use. And guess what, then you end up with crappy service. What a surprise.
This also reminds me of Du, the second telecom operator in UAE. They were really eager to shout about how they were going to be the “first” to roll out great new services and 1,5 year after launch people still have issues with the basic services like calls being dropped and SMS’s not arriving. Especially in this region it’s a lot more about talk than actual delivering what you promise.
Great blog! Keep it up!
I agree. However, the last bit about doing your best is also too subjective, and – I dont know why- it sounds weak, like something you would hear when someone is closing shop for good 😉
You didnt mention “BIGGEST”, which is good. I think any statement which includes the word “BIGGEST” will be ov undisputed value to someone if it can be backed up by some data, like a Google Analytics snapshot.
I agree. However, the last bit about doing your best is also too subjective, and – I dont know why- it sounds weak, like something you would hear when someone is closing shop for good 😉
You didnt mention “BIGGEST”, which is good. I think any statement which includes the word “BIGGEST” will be ov undisputed value to someone if it can be backed up by some data, like a Google Analytics snapshot.