Corporate Image: Security Sells

Some companies are so serious about security, they try to make it part of their corporate image

"Key to the promise of the brand is that a real, live person will share your problem and help resolve it," says Andrew Young, director of marketing at Detroit-based OnStar, who's been with the business since its inception in 1996. "They'll make connections, find information and help you."

The help depends on the nature of the problem. OnStar is careful to avoid overpromising, says Young, and tries hard to make sure that subscribers understand the limitations of the service. "We've tried to be very honest in how we market the service and build the brand," he says. "We are a significant enhancement to someone's security and safety, but we're not 100 percent. We don't own the wireless networks, we need an electrical supply in the vehicle, and we don't have a roadside capability of our own. We're an interface between the consumer and third-party service providers. We provide peace of mind."

That said, OnStar is astute in pointing out what it can doespecially when that highlights what others can't do. Often that boils down to OnStar's marriage of cell-phone telephony with GPS satellite navigation capabilities. When you're lost, for example, two critical pieces of information are (1) where you are and (2) the directions for getting back on course. As Young observes, if there's no one around to tell youor if you're in the sort of location where getting out and asking seems inadvisablethen OnStar is a perfect solution.

Likewise, he adds, dialing 911 in an emergency is all very well and good, but how does the dispatcher know where you are? Minutes can be lost while the emergency services try to locate youwhich in the event of a serious accident can literally make the difference between life and death.

For the past two years, OnStar has been running a radio advertisement campaign featuring the voices of real callers. "The voices are of people who are hurt or panicking or upset. They've maybe been in an accident or are perhaps trapped in a vehicle, and the doors are locked," says Young. "People listen to the advertisements and understand the relevance of the service we provide and respect us for using real voices of the people we've helped." Tellingly, he adds, "The consumer research we've done suggests that people perceive us as an emergency service." And for a business that's careful to advertise itself as merely "peace of mind," that's quite a compliment. *