The Medium is the Message

In times of stress, consumers become very risk-averse. They look to Diamond Certified^® companies as beacons of quality, safety and fairness, rated Highest in Quality and Helpful Expertise^® and backed by the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee.

As the manager of a high-trust Diamond Certified company, you play a valuable role in your community during this trying time. You are a strong leader and will make stressed customers feel more confident by your positive actions, helping your community and providing your company’s highly rated services during this COVID-19 outbreak.

Are you familiar with the expression, “the medium is the message,” made popular by Marshall McLuhan, a prophet of the electronic age? What does it mean and why is it so relevant now? It means that the medium alters the message and in many cases is bigger or more powerful than the message itself. Visualize pouring your guest a glass of wine out of a giant plastic water jug instead of from a beautifully labeled wine bottle. For most people, the medium (in this case, the container) alters the message (the wine), which results in a different assessment of a wine drinking experience and even the appreciation of the actual wine.

Because of these uncertain times, it has never been more important for you to understand how “the medium is the message” impacts your company right now. When consumers are concerned about the economy, they become more careful and greatly emphasize trust in each commercial relationship decision. This is where the Diamond Certified Resource is so powerful for your company. The Diamond Certified message is, “Increase your confidence and choose a trusted Diamond Certified company rated Highest in Quality and Helpful Expertise®.”

Each month, thousands of Quality Consumers visit www.diamondcertified.org
Why? We keep hearing two main reasons. First, consumers know we spend a lot of time and money conducting the most accurate ratings of customer satisfaction available and back them with our Performance Guarantee. They trust that only companies rated Highest in Quality and Helpful Expertise® earn Diamond Certified and are presented on our website. So, the Diamond Certified medium creates a quality halo that is seen by your potential customers as they check out your company’s info. This “medium is the message” dynamic adds significantly to your company’s position as the best choice and speeds up your conversion process of turning shoppers into buyers.

Second, we figure about half the time your potential customer has found you somewhere else and is narrowing down their choice from two or three companies to one. They do a quick search on each company to gain the last bit of info and confidence to make their final decision. They see your Diamond Certified top rated status in Google search and click to review your page.

That’s where your Diamond Certified Company Report, within the context of our high-trust website, helps close the deal. As they research your company within our medium, their trust and confidence grow. No other medium has our unbiased ratings. None contains the organized depth of Deep Info on each top rated company. None provides the safety of our local help by a real person, plus a guarantee. It works because in this context, your Deep Info reaches their heart and mind and they feel confident in their decision to choose you.

Consumers are Picking WINNERS and Avoiding LOSERS
In the wake of COVID-19, revenues in some local industries will be hit by dropping consumer demand. When industry revenues decline, don’t panic. You’re now in for a supply side battle. The pie may shrink for a bit, so it’s critical that you win the competitive battle for quality positioning and increase your market share with the best customers while competitors “bury their marketing in the sand,” disappearing from public view. We’ll do our part by presenting your company every day to quality-seeking customers through Diamond Certified Media. Make sure you work closely with your team to maximize your use of your custom Diamond Certified brochures and Diamond Certified logo in all communications.

Dealing With Uncertainty: Keep Communicating Confidence
To win in this environment, have some fun with it. Use the difficulty! Consumers are feeling nervous, but you have the Diamond Certified Resource to maximize their trust. So, use Diamond Certified aggressively on the phone and in-person to prove that when the going gets tough, you perform well for your customers. Remember, high trust makes the difference. Right now, customers want to deal with Diamond Certified company staff who are highly confident in their company’s performance. So, first reinforce your company’s message within your team and then to your potential customers.

Use Diamond Certified aggressively in all of your contacts with potential customers. We’ve invested more money this year in building the Diamond Certified brand for quality, safety and high trust. You’ve earned it and you should aggressively use it every day. It positions your team at the top of your industry.