It doesn’t matter how much you spend on advertising or a PR agency or branding or how many tweets you post, if the reality and expectation doesn’t match up.

Marketing is only really as strong as the product or service in the end.

I wanted to give an example of how two different experiences have reinforced the marketing effort or made it inconsequential.  I suppose I wanted to give credit where it’s due and vent my spleen at the same time to be truthful.

Let’s start with the baddie: (apparently 5 star rated) Qatar Airways, not the world’s favourite airline nor indeed mine (to borrow the world’s cheekiest run airline’s strap line (MD Willie Walsh wants staff to work for nothing for a month)).

Qatar Airways, what can I say?

The flight times are changed three times, I’d better check and confirm with Qatar once I arrive advises my travel agent.

Bags go missing on arrival at Delhi, over 2 hours trying to find out where at three in the morning.

Qatar office asks why they are in Bangkok!  I have to explain?  (Oh I wish I was there now).  Do I get any money for toiletries or for the inconvenience, you bet not.  It arrives – 36 hours late.  I check my latest flight times with staff, a puzzled look, and told that they are of course right.

Going back, arrive at Delhi Airport with 800 Rupees (about £10).  Even though the train was 4 hours late my flight doesn’t leave for several hours.  I can relax and have a coffee.

I decide to check in early: the flight’s gone.  Qatar changed the flight back (without telling me).  Luckily sympathetic airport duty officer gets me back to Manchester with Lufthansa.  I am not the first to have this problem with Qatar he informs me.  If I didn’t have the print out of my flight times then I would have been stuck – my card doesn’t work over here.

I write to Qatar for some satisfaction (it must be two months ago or more): nothing.

I take a swipe at Qatar on Twitter: progress, they follow me.  I decide to take another swipe to see if I can start a dialogue: “sorry” would be a start or why are you not happy with our airline?  Nothing!  What is the point of using Twitter for your marketing if you do not actually act on it?

The AA: this is shorter, so stay with me.

I have been with the AA for I don’t know: years.  I have used them 4 or 5 times in the last couple of years and they have been nothing but polite, friendly, highly skilled and professional.  If I hadn’t broken down I would say it is a real pleasure to deal with them.

What’s the key difference: I will tell anyone who is flying to Dubai or onwards not to use Qatar; I would tell anyone looking for a breakdown service to use The AA.

Clients are your most powerful marketing communications, whether it is good or bad, not your marketing spend.

What does planned communications matter at this point, once you have experienced the service yourself?