Strategy

The Crowd Can Be Wrong

John Bradley "JJ" Jackson

26 Jul 2010 • 1 min read

In my book, Deja New Marketing, I wrote about the “wisdom of crowds” or maybe more accurately, the lack of it. The truth is, crowds are often wrong. They get caught up in the same trends, the same short-term fixes, and head full speed in the wrong direction.

Take the airline industry. Author John M. McKee points out how most U.S. airlines rushed to cut customer service in the name of profitability. What used to be a pleasant experience has become a string of nickel-and-dime charges for luggage, for pillows, even for those awful headphones.

But Singapore Airlines took a different path. Year after year, it’s ranked the best airline in the world, and for good reason. Instead of gutting service, CEO Chew Choon Seng reduced the number of flights but doubled down on customer experience including better food, better service, and a polished brand. Passengers noticed, and loyalty followed.

That’s the lesson: the crowd of competitors may all be doing the same thing, but that doesn’t make it right. People want affordable flights, yes, but they also want to be treated like human beings.

Ignore the crowd. Better yet, go in the opposite direction.