I was at the gym this morning listening to a CD and watching the sound translated on the TV screen (now that's multi-tasking!) when the talking heads on one of the morning programs started talking about the latest Republican candidate debate. Bob Schieffer started talking about Fred Thompson and how badly he did. Apparently Mr. Schieffer thinks Mr. Thompson needs a general makeover because he said Mr. Thompson "didn't look very presidential." Ouch. This about a guy who's a professional actor.
Mr. Schieffer also stressed that he didn't want to get into image too much but he thought Mr. Thompon should at least get a suit that fits. That hurts.
I don't want to get into politics here but this point is important and relates to alot of things.
When our minds see something new, it tries to make sense out of it by comparing it to something in our memory banks that's similar to what we're seeing. We see rich guys running for president and we expect them to stand tall, speak well, and wear expensive suits that look really good on them. Their visual image should compliment their verbal message.
Now think about your product or your company in general. Are you trying to sell something that basically doesn't match the visual image your using?
Sure you can try to visually surprise the public but don't be surprised when you end up repelling more people than you attract.
How is your image inconsistent from the image you want to send people? Remember perception is reality and if they think your product is shoddy because that's the image you send then don't be surprised when sales are down.
Hopefully Mrs. Thompson will insist he stop embarrassing her and buy a new suit.
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