Why businesses should try harder

Recently I saw an article which was based on a tweet from @trevoryoung about some problems he was having getting @Avis Car Rental to respond to his problem. The article was based around the change of the "We try harder" brand... now "It's your space" and, it would seem, that includes solving problems.

It always amazes me when a company who has a strong promise to the customer and has built their brand around it only to ditch it for some lame idea their new agency has thought up to prove they are worth the dollars they are paid.

Your brand promise is critical to your success - but it must be lived throughout the company - from the cleaners right through to the CEO. There is no point 'trying harder' if even one of the touchpoints for the customer isn't on brand ... and remember there are internal and external customers.

Too many times companies (and agencies) get tired of their brand and their promise... including their jingle. Often this is before the customer has even had time to recall the brand and it's associated collaterol... let alone forming a relationship with it!

Let's compare "We try harder" to "It's your space". The original was a direct promise and tapped into what the customer wanted... especially when they may have experienced something less with a competitor. Wouldn't you want to do business with someone who tries harder for you.

The new tagline - what does that mean... I can trash the car because I feel more comfortable in 'my space'. When you hire a car you just want to know it won't breakdown, you hope not to have an accident and a pleasant surprise would be nice (always wondered why minties weren't in the car, or a bottle of water!)

If only Avis explored their business model and found where they weren't 'trying harder' instead of ditching it all together. Yes, every business is tough and the climate has changed... even with hire cars ... but imagine if Avis really did 'try harder' ... they would once again be market leaders!