Different Is Better Than Better

Let me tell you about two tourism businesses we discovered travelling around Australia with the family.

The Whitsunday Islands are a stunningly beautiful collection of islands in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. We chose a one day island hopping ferry tour to experience the region. Whatever expectation you have of the place, your experience will almost surely exceed it. Ours did too.

The ferry that did everything right

The service from the ferry staff was incredible. When one of the girls felt seasick, the staff calmed her down, offered lemonade and regularly checked on her. The ticket included lunch and afternoon tea, but what we received was well beyond our expectations. They even squeezed a cheeky extra free beer into the drinks on the trip back after the bar had unofficially closed.

In every way, they made us feel valued. They did everything right.

However, as I sat down to write about them, I couldn't tell you the name of the ferry company. Nor did I leave a review.

Now contrast that with an experience we had in the middle of nowhere.

The pub in the middle of nowhere

With the proper budget, any one of us could create a better pub than most. Nicer chairs, a modern design, a marble bar. Put that pub on a transit route in the middle of the Australian outback, and you still wouldn't go close to how famous The Daly Waters Pub is.

Travellers' things cover every external surface of the pub. International money. Bras. Shoes. Business cards. Many people have left their stories on the walls. Many people own a piece of the pub.

The design is, at best, rustic and mismatched. It is dysfunctional in many ways. But it is so different from every other pub you might experience, which is why people flock to it. Hundreds of travellers choose to stop there every night for a meal and live music, neither of which is any more remarkable than any other pub in the country. The town has a permanent population of fewer than thirty.

As you might expect, I wrote a five star Google review when we left. I've regaled the story of The Daly Waters Pub to several people since, as has my wife. Heck, I'm writing about it here.

Different is better

What is the difference between the ferry and the pub? Why do I remember the name of one, take time out of my day to write a review, and share the story with people whether or not I know they're ever likely to visit?

Better is not better. Different is better than better. And more to the point, different in a compelling way to your ideal customer is better.

When we discover something different, we want to share the story because it elevates our self worth. The outback pub connects us to our aspirational identity. The ferry, running a great business, fails to position its brand to connect you with yours. It is building a business, not a brand.

Nothing stops a business from making any number of claims about itself. Premium. Best. Most experienced. All generic claims, shared by many, that have no impact on the quality of your experience. We no longer believe a lot of what businesses tell us, so we look to the opinions of strangers who have tested the promises for themselves.

What other people say about your brand is more important than what you say about your brand. It's what makes word of mouth so powerful.

What makes a tourism business remarkable requires you not only to exceed your customers' expectations consistently, but also to inject the unexpected and something different.

Great brands make for not only great businesses. They stand the test of time, and they're how you charge a premium.

Oh, by the way. It was Cruise Whitsundays. My wife suggested I share that with you.