This is a very old saying and one I first heard in my early days in advertising. It was mentioned in regard to checking for typos and correct grammar. Because (and starting a sentence with ‘because’ is completely acceptable these days) the details make the difference between a good ad and a great ad. In actuality, it can make the difference between a potential customer buying and not buying.
I copped some stick during the week for comments I made about cafés spending more time selecting the right shade of paint colours than investing in tables that don’t wobble. That little detail, of sitting at a café table that doesn’t induce seasickness and coffee spillage, makes all the difference to my experience at that café. But here’s the rub; I wouldn’t notice if the table DIDN’T wobble.
The phenomenon occurring here is to do with expectations. In a civilised society, we expect certain things to occur. When things happen as they ought there is no fanfare, congratulations or tip. What has been provided is the bare minimum. Should our expectations be exceeded then another interesting set of phenomena spring into action which most resemble the psychological emotional condition known as ‘romantic love‘. To marketeers, this is also called brand loyalty. When the opposite happens and expectations are not met then an opportunity is lost and all marketing invested to date can be considered wasted.
Here endeth the lesson.