Using Your Industry Leadership

Ok, so I don’t mean to be on a blogging rut focused on analyzing advertisements but I saw this commercial a few days ago and it struck me as an example of a smart way to use your industry leadership. In one of their latest commercials Lysol is positioning one of their employees as a key spokesperson. He’s not just any employee but Joe Rubino, the Director of Microbiology for Lysol Products. He introduces himself and then proceeds to give tips on how to kill the H1N1 virus in your home … oh and by the way…one of the tips is to use Lysol disinfectant spray and cloths.

My first thought is, “Wow, so Lysol has a Director for Microbiology? That’s pretty cool!” And then my second thought is, “Wow, so they care enough to show consumers how to make sure their home is safe from the H1N1 virus?” This ad represents a good example of how to not only use but to substantiate your position as a leader within your industry. Lysol is not only reinforcing their leadership position but also coming across as experts who really care about the consumer. They are doing this by not being in the consumer’s face about how great their product is, but by using a strategy of offering helpful tips on how to keep your home safe.

Where Lysol is missing the mark – and maybe this campaign has been out for a while and I missed it – is in timing. H1N1 is very close to becoming irrelevant. The threat is still there but nothing like it was a few months ago. Lysol may still be within the window, but much of the impact from an effective campaign is being lost with the onset of spring and the decline in flu virus. Well there’s always next year…

Megan McKenzie

Author: Megan McKenzie

Megan McKenzie provides strategic leadership to McKenzie Worldwide and the agency’s work with technology companies in enterprise, consumer, wireless, networking, & cybersecurity.