Of course, we had to know more.

So, in reviewing the announcement on some industry websites, we noticed some very candid comments about how this particular company tended to select people for certain positions. Management choices were not necessarily based on performance and skill, but on political correctness and/or the ‘who you know’ promotion.

Ok, naysayers, let’s check it out.

A quick search of LinkedIn showed that, well, maybe there’s some truth to the theories, as evidenced by the newly-minted safety advocate’s profile. We’re not saying that this person isn’t qualified, what we’re saying is, their profile certainly tells a different story.

If you’re going to make claims geared at revolutionizing current thinking, make sure you can back them up.

Everyone is the industry’s leader or first in something, right? It’s part of the reason those claims don’t have the clout they truly should. If a company is really innovative and can drive change within an industry, they should be lauded for it.

Going to market as the ‘industry’s first’ anything is going to draw criticism from your opponents and non-supporters, that’s their job. But, it’s YOUR job to know what holes they’ll punch in your theory and have the things in place that will prevent those arguments from gaining momentum. In short, you need to be able to back up whatever it is you’re saying.

It’s way too easy to fact check and cross reference in this day and age (just ask my 11 year old about his hard-learned lesson when he turned in a recent writing assignment…http://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker).

Dependable or Deceitful

So if you want the credibility that goes along with these assertions, make sure you think it through and take the time to back up your claims. This is a new way of thinking about integrated marketing—not only do all your efforts need to look and feel cohesive, the elements of your story need to make sense, as well. (It’s kind of like modernizing Rapunzel with a pixie cut—how do you get down the tower, exactly?)

A quick review of this person’s LinkedIn profile to update the information and show a progression of responsibilities would have gone a long way in silencing some of the negative theories—was the company that unaware of how it’s perceived in the market? (That’s an entirely different discussion on how well you really know your brand.)

The appointed advocate has been with the company for almost 20 years. We’re sure there’s something that could have been highlighted… And by no means are we suggesting lying, which opens a whole new can of questionability, but there is something to be said for knowing how to present—and back up— a credible story to support the claims you are making. That’s how you earn the most rewards.

*Names omitted to protect the innocent