Companies should really be more intentional about their organisational values and how they are communicated through their marketing.

There is a TV advert series currently running here in South Africa that profiles one of our national carriers, Nationwide Airlines . Since the the deregulation of the industry in 1991, Nationwide has been the bland, run-of-the-mill airline amidst a proliferation of competition (see 1Time , Kulula.com and recently, Mango ). Nationwide has now tried to go big with a TV advert series that highlights a common organisational value: how important customers are to us.

Picture it …

A medium shot of celebrities Kobus Wiese Solly Philander strapping themselves into their seats.

Behind them, an cabin attendant is heard saying to a fellow passenger: and

[Said with sickingly sweet inent] "Sir, it is such a pleasure having you fly with us today!"

Kobus turns to Solly and says, "Who is this guy (that he deserves such special attention)?"

The voice over ends the advert with:

"At Nationwide, we like to think you are special".

Oh, come on! I for one have never had any attendant, on any airline, on any flight, shower me with such a compliment.

Incongruous value transmission. That's what it is! A classic trap of presenting a polished image of who the company is and how they treat customers … that is so vastly different from the reality of customer experience.

So, I think to myself: perhaps Nationwide are pitching this advert at the lower quartile of flying customers? Impossible! Their pricing mitigates against this.

Instead it was this scenario:

Money-hungry MD: "So, Mr Marketing Manager, what are you doing to justify your salary?"

Flailing Marketing Manager: "Um, sir, I've just commissioned a TV advert series on how important and unique our customers are to us"

Money-hungry MD: "Brilliant! We've never had a TV advert before!"

Flailing Marketing Manager: "Thank you sir! I think it's important that we say something about how important our customers are"

Money-hungry MD: "What, um, what was that … yes, whatever, just make sure we have a couple of celebrities in it!"