Does value ad really ad value?

I recently consulted an agency who wants to integrate email marketing into their CRM driven print campaigns. “It will be a value ad” my contact says in jubilation. Hmmm… I ask myself. Forgive me if I don’t share the same enthusiasm.

As a former agency guy I am all for creating additional value. But is there really value in value ad? I say not so much.

I encourage firms like this and others to ask themselves if they are reacting to a competitive threat or attempting competitive differentiation. Frankly, if done poorly neither pose an attractive option. Furthermore, there are striking differences that should be considered.

Reactions to competitive threats typically use value add to stop the bleeding or beef up a product sheet. It is like saying “we do that too.” It also says “we know they are better, but we are cheap.” Note the operative word being cheap. If I were a scholar I might use the word commodity. I liken it more to bottom feeding.

Move on to the case of competitive differentiation. Half ass efforts to create something new are typically countered with better ideas. These tend to be better funded and superiorly marketed to half baked plans such as my friends value added program.

Either way they leave themselves completely vulnerable to something that is going to cost money to create, market and support over the long haul. When I think of this agency rolling out email software to their clients I can’t help but think of a quote I picked up recently.

It goes like this, “Software is like sex. One mistake and you support it for life.”

I hope they catch on to this notion. Because this agency’s value ad has the potential of not only providing little value, but damaging their business in the process.