After many years, New York managed to overcome the rising crime and became one of the most powerful commercial, industrial and cultural centers in the world. (Photo: Unsplash)
Ask the New Yorkers
New York is one of the most successful and popular cities in the world, in all aspects: culture, commerce, technology and tourism.
There aren't many cities in the world where walking the streets is a breathtaking experience in itself like New York, but of course it wasn't always that way.
Until the mid-1990s, New York was known as a dangerous city ruled by brutal crime families.
Harlem, which today is one of the pearls of the city, was until recently a neighborhood plagued by violence and drugs.
With all due respect to advertising and branding, a thousand campaigns and millions of I LOVE NYC shirts would not have saved the city and its image, if it had not been fighting the rising crime.
With all due respect to the art of marketing, one of the main things that caused the change in New York is its captains, the local government authorities, and the federal authorities.
They declared a war of attrition on the crime families and in a long process eradicated crime in the city.
Branding backed by action
Like cities, countries and people, markets, professionals and industries can also change their image through rebranding.
Take for example the fashion industry, which has been criticized for its impact on the environment, including water and air pollution and waste generation.
To change this image, many fashion brands have implemented sustainability initiatives and started using environmentally friendly materials in their products.
On the other hand, it is important to note that there are fashion brands that "ride the ecological wave" but do not produce real change.
For example, the Shein company, which is known for its abusive employment practices, started operating a service of selling second-hand clothes, but at the same time it continues to launch many new collections whose production pollutes the environment.
In one word: greenwashing.
Similarly, fast food chains that boast a "healthy" menu do not always change it to make it healthier, but only highlight the healthy ingredients on their menus.
At the end of the day, the public is smart enough to judge who has really changed and who is just kidding.
When an entire industry suffers from a bad reputation
Taxi drivers in Israel have been suffering for years from an unreliable image, and many customers assume in advance that every taxi driver is plotting to cheat them.
Of course this is not true, but there are enough dishonest people in this profession, so that this image will be perpetuated.
Instead of producing campaigns that glorify the honesty of the drivers, the state chose to change the payment method so that it would not be possible to defraud the customer.
Today, with apps like Get and Uber that have swept the cards, there is no longer any need for trust because everything is transparent and visible.
But even without apps, the meter in the taxi allows you to calculate the cost of the trip in an honest and fair way.
You can simply ask the driver at the beginning of the trip to turn on the meter, and if he turns it on without a problem, we know we are dealing with an honest driver.
Another market in Israel that suffers, sometimes justifiably, from a bad image, is the renovation market.
It is considered an open market, in which there is no connection between the amount the consumer will pay and the return he will receive.
It is therefore not surprising that so many consumers have an anxiety about renovations.
And what about the "brave" ones who still renovate?
In a survey by the ToolStation company in the USA, 60% of those who took the gamble and renovated the house testified that the renovation hurt them financially and their quality of life was damaged. Unfortunately, there is not a single super advertiser or brilliant campaigner who can change the image of the renovation market without significant help from those involved in the industry and especially from the legislators The
current situation in the market requires a revolution. It must include the commitment of all service providers to provide a fair and efficient service, but that is not enough. The state must define new, clearer rules of the game, which will not allow loopholes that can be exploited. For example, enact a new law that will require the The renovation contractors must meet the completion date they set for the project, and pay compensation for each day late. Only in this way, by mobilizing all the factors to change the current situation in the market from within, can real change be brought about.
good to know (in advance)
The secret to improving your sex life - now in a special sale
Served on behalf of "Gabra"
facing forward
Changing an image doesn't start with saying "I've changed", it starts with a real transformation and dealing with the root problems.
Businesses that will introduce new service standards in their industry and market to the consumer a wide, high-quality and up-to-date service basket that gives him a sense of security.
At the same time, it is important that the state also enshrines some of the new standards in the law, so that what was previously considered "premium conditions" will become a standard.
At the same time as the step up in the service sector, there is also a need for a step up in the marketing concept.
If until today we have become accustomed to an outdated and out-of-date marketing approach in the field, as part of the change there is a need to update the language and approach and to have a clear and precise dialogue with the consumer.
Nir Primo is the CEO of Simple Group
Marketing and digital
Content and creative
Tags
reputation
Brand
campaign
Marketing
