As clichés go, ‘honesty is the best policy’ has a lot going for it and I make no excuses for using it. However, as an aphorism, it doesn’t go far enough. There are positives and negatives to the unexpurgated.
No product is perfect. Everything is a compromise. You offer a hotel that is close to all amenities: beach, the clubs, the restaurants and the airport. Honesty would mean mentioning the constant wind, the drunks, the smells and the noise. One option is to use a sort of code, one that most people would understand, words such as lively, vibrant, bracing.
It begs the question, if most people understand what you mean why bother using terms open to misinterpretation? Why not say from the start that it would suit those without young children and who enjoy late nights.
The problem with using code is that some will not understand the full meaning and this might well generate a complaint about being kept awake all night. Had the marketing email been honest about the negatives, the subscriber might well have opted for another hotel.
Trust is often quoted as an essential in email marketing and if you are up front with the down sides to your product your customers are much more likely to return. Not only that, if they pick a product that is perfect for their needs, any review will probably be very positive.
If your main competitor produces a product that has a certain facility that is absent in yours, what do you do? Ignore all references to that aspect of your product is one option. However, you could make a positive about it.
Avis did this in their advertising campaign that stated they were the second largest vehicle hire company, stating that this made them try much harder to beat their unnamed competitor. By all reports, it was a so successful that at one time it seemed that their advert would have been dishonest. They are still second, and it probably hurts.
If you accept, or even highlight, the negatives, you will have substantially changed your focus. Instead of fighting a battle you are unlikely to win, you can focus on your positives.
