Trusted suppliers keep their promise: The importance of being a Sunkist!
A former President of the Sunkist Growers Association once said, “An orange is an orange is an orange, unless of course that orange happens to be a Sunkist, a name 80 percent of consumers know and trust.”
For millions of people, and I admit to being one of them, the Sunkist name is code for, you can trust this product. Millions of us believe, or trust, that the next Sunkist product we buy will be every bit as good as the last one.
Over the last few years I’ve asked hundreds of people at talks I've given on branding about whether they buy Sunkist products and, if they do, why. While the words vary, the basic reason is always some variation on, “I get a product I can count on.”
Building trust the old fashioned way
The label ‘trusted supplier’ is one for which many organizations strive. Think about all the firms you rely on to make your business hum—the wizard who keeps your computers running... the courier who gets your parcels there on time... the lawyer you‘ve chosen to handle your legal matters.
You might have tried several others before zeroing in on the one you’re now using. Each promised to provide you with something you were after. Those that have earned trusted supplier status—the ones you continue to work with—delivered on their promise. And you trust they will continue to deliver. If they don’t, you’ll very likely be on the hunt for a replacement.
Promise them anything… just make sure you deliver!
Every business, product or service comes with a promise. And as long as you—the buyer—get what’s been promised you’ll have few reasons to look elsewhere. But the moment that promise is broken all bets are off.
Delivering on your promise is an essential part of owning your space. The fact is, you can’t build a reputation as a trusted supplier unless you do. Think of the promise FedEx once made… When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight. A gutsy slogan that helped put FedEx on the map. Why? Because they offered something buyers were after and, most importantly, they were able to deliver .
Do you have a name consumers know and trust? Are you a Sunkist? Tune in next week for a simple way to find out.