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Is Saying Your Lawn & Landscape Company is "The Best" False Advertising?

11K views 36 replies 21 participants last post by  RSK Property Maintenance 
#1 ·
You have probably seen the Papa John’s Pizza ads on TV – they are everywhere.

“Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John’s.”

Is that false advertising? Pizza Hut thought so and in 1998 took Papa John’s to court and won. The court ruled they had to stop using the slogan. But Papa John’s appealed, took the lawsuit to a higher court and won – their defense was that it was not false advertising, but rather a matter of personal taste. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but nevertheless, Pizza Hut tried to take it to the Supreme Court and they weren’t interested.

So, for the past 15 years, the ads still run.

So why not make a big advertising push for your lawn and landscape company? Instead of the same old same old (professional, insured, experienced, blah, blah, blah), why not shout it out from the roof tops that you are the best?

Risky? Maybe. I mean, Papa John’s pizza doesn’t suck. I’m not sure it’s the best, but it seems to have helped them grow their business from $360 million in 1998 to $1.4 billion in 2012. Not bad.

Point is, they put themselves out there. They are willing to say they are the best. It get’s people’s attention. It makes them wonder if it really is the best. If they like it, they stick with it. On top of that, Papa John’s is not afraid to push the envelope and advertise they are the best anywhere they can.

Try it. If you mow lawns, tell people in your advertising you are the best lawn mowing company there is – period. If you provide fertilizing services, tell people their lawns will look better than ever if they choose you. If you offer lighting services, use your advertising to tell your audience that no one else but you can make their home/garden/landscape as good as you will.

Last thing… make sure you work hard to actually back up what you are saying. That should go without saying.
 
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#3 ·
I know it's legal (thanks for the link btw, interesting reading)...

I guess what I'm saying is, are you willing to say you are the best and then actually follow through and be the best?

Papa John's was confident enough to say it and they have followed through. Does everyone agree? Of course not, but they are "puffing" away and it has done them well.

Why not give a shot for a lawn and landscape business....and I don't just mean

"Hey, we're really good and we will do a good job."

I'm talking about "going all in" and literally telling everyone you are the very best and your competition is inferior.
 
#6 ·
my question is how long can i say i'm a "new local business"?
I don't know if there is a time limit... that being said, "new" does not always breed confidence with a potential customer.
 
#13 ·
I think there is a difference between saying your better, the who is unspecified and saying your the best. Good, better, best. Three grades,better not being the same as best. That being said if you tell people your the best you darn well better be, because if there is anything in your service either perceived or real that is not the best, it could bite you. Plus there is ALWAYS someone better bigger stronger that might be right around the corner to pick your work apart.
 
#15 ·
pizza hut pizza is alot better than papa john's to me. so to me papa is telling a lie when they say they have the best pizza because it's not the best.

it's trickery man. it's not just pizza but anything you buy is like that. they all try to "trick" you into thinking they are the best. does it work? yes but it's very unethical and a crooked way to gain customers. just be honest and upfront with people. that always works better than anything else.
 
#17 ·
Obviously a lot of people think papa johns is indeed the best based on sales all over the country.
It's like saying "affordable lawn care"......who can afford it? Sure, if you disconnect cable, internet, and stop buying starbucks.....its very subjective and I still intend to charge what i need to to make a profit.
I have no problem saying i'm "the best", because to my customers, I am the best. And they love me until they decide otherwise, or that I may not be so affordable after all.
 
#18 ·
Unethical? If your customer truly believes that you have conducted an exhaustive study of every comparable business in a 100 mile radius, analyzed their business practices, interviewed all their past clients, and hired a consultant to evaluate their work - where the heck did you find them? Otherwise, anyone knows "we're the best" means "we believe we're the best and that's important to us." If someone doesn't believe their the best - whether it's an employee or a vendor - then they're wasting my time.

Come on, what did Ghostbusters teach us? "If someone asks you if you're a god, Ray, you say yes!"
 
#20 ·
I mean why not just call yourself God and be done?
We are merely acting on his behalf to bring you the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood:rolleyes:
 
#25 ·
Better Quality, Better Equipment- Chuck Norris Lawn Care
Chuck Norris' beard will roundouse kick your testicles into outer space if he finds out about this...
 
#26 ·
I agree with Sean on this. You also have to take the end of what he is saying as 90%+ of the tactic. For example, in our bids and in our presentation (which has become very useful) we don't necessarily say word for word "we are the best" but we do say things that do more than hint. Some of my presentation seems kind of snotty and "big shot" but it also explains why I have the attitude I have and it is a perfect jumble of words if you ask me. Then I'll go on to literally show my potential clients the actual difference between our work and their work. This is where I am very careful.

Over the last two years I have been developing ways to make my business run more like a machine. It is in this process that I can feel confident to send any potential client to any property at any given time for a reference and I know they will be impressed with what they see. This is a result however, of pretty much mind raping my clients in to the best service I offer. We stress weedless properties and guess what, our properties are weedless. We stress 0 irrigation issues because of how dedicated our techs are and guess what, we have 0 irrigation issues.

My point is this, if Sean is telling you to say your the best and you're not reading the part where he is telling you to also be the best, then you likely don't know how to be the best and you should learn or just do it. It can be tricky at first but you soon realize that it is a necessity. It's called putting your money where your mouth is.
 
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