Uber-Designer, Michael Buckingham, wrote a great post on his blog today in which he talks about the risk of promoting what you cannot deliver. It’s a good reminder.

As I was writing a response, I said to myself, “self” (I said) “this would be a great post on your blog, ergon agathon.” So here it is, not a rip off of Michael’s thoughts but just a spin on what he wrote.

Jesus said (as recorded by Matthew in chapter 12):   “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

What we say (promote, market, write, produce…) matters. Jesus said all that stuff (our creative output) comes out of what is in our hearts. Our words (ads, spots, postcards, fliers…) will either condemn us or acquit us.

Tell the truth in your marketing. If you find yourself embellishing, maybe you shouldn’t be doing any promotion until you help fix the underlying problem, then go wild and promote the snot out of it.

Trout like real trout bait. They hate the stuff that looks like a juicy worm but tastes like rubber. Your target audience hates stuff that tastes like crap. Give ‘em the real thing.