Why Truth In Advertising is the Best Policy

In advertising most businesses/products typically claim that "We're The Best." "We Sell The Most." "We're #1" or whatever. However there are many examples of how honesty yields better results in marketing than chest puffing. One of the most famous examples is Avis Rent A Car. In the '70s and '80s their slogan was "We're No. 2 So We Try Harder." As soon as they adopted that slogan their revenues shot through the roof.

Fast forward to 2016 when, two week ago, my family and I took a trip to Vancouver, B.C., and encountered the sign above in Gastown. The service may suck, but the beer is cold ... and isn't that better than the alternative? So yes, we stopped and had a beer and (as usually is the case when folks are self-effacing) the service was friendly and fast.