“Imageiseverything.”Perhapsthisstatementisanover-exaggeration,butnotbymuch.Billionsofdollarsarespenteveryyearoncreatingjusttherightimageforproducts,servicesandpeople.Anentireindustryhasbeenbuiltuponthepremisethatimageiseverything.Butwhenitcomesdowntoit,anappealingimageisnotenough.Ifthereisnosubstancebehindtheimage,theproduct,serviceorpersonwillultimatelyfail.Therealityortruthbehindtheimageisatleastasimportant,ifnotmoreso,thantheimageitself.

　　Firstofall,oneshouldconsiderhowimportantimageisinthesellingofproductsandservices.Advertisingagencieshaveraisedtheartofcreatinganimagetoastateofnearperfection.Televisioncommercialscreateavisualimagerythatbecomescloselyassociatedwiththeproductitself.Publicperceptionofthatproductorserviceiscertainlymanipulatedbytheimagescreatedbytheadvertisingagencies.However,itisnotenoughtosimplyhaveagoodimage–theremustbesomethingofsubstancebehindtheimage.Anadvertisementcanbeaverypowerfulwaytoformanimageforaproductoraservicethatpersuadestheconsumertobuytheproductortrytheservice.Butiftheproductorservicedoesnotliveuptotheimagethatwascreated,thecustomerwillbeverydissatisfiedandpossiblyseekrecoursebyaskingfortheirmoneyback.Asanexample,considertheArthurAndersenaccountingfirm.ArthurAndersenhadspentdecadesbuildingupanimageoftrustworthinessandintegrity.ButtherecentEnronenergycompanyscandalrevealedthatbehindthatimage,therewascorruptionanddishonestbusinesspractices.Despitehavingpreviouslyhadanextremelypositiveimage,theaccountingfirmisunderprosecutionbytheUnitedStatesgovernmentforcriminalactionsanditwillprobablynotsurviveasabusinessentity.Althoughtheimagehadbeennearlyperfect,therealitybehindtheimagehasledtothedownfalloftheworldfamousaccountingfirm.Imageisimportant,buttherealityandtruthbehindthatimageisatleastequallyimportant.

　　Similarly,personalconsultantscanbuildupapublicimageforpoliticiansandmoviestars.Puttingoutpositivenewsreleases,makingsurethatonlythebestphotographsarepublished,andensuringthatthepersonisseeninalltherightplacescanbuildupaverypositiveimageintheviewofthegeneralpopulace.Butonceagain,althoughimageisimportant,ifthereisnotruthbehindthatimage,thepublicwillfindout.Historyisfilledwithexamplesofbothpoliticiansandmoviestarsthatfellfromgracedespitehavinghighlypolished,favorableimagesinthepubliceye.Itisalmostaclichénow–thestoryoftheHollywoodactorsuccumbingtothepressuresoffameandfortuneandcheckingintoarehabilitationcenter.Hardlyamonthgoesbywithoutsomefamouspersondoingsomethingthatclasheswithhisorherimage,resultinginahugescandal.Withpeople,justaswithproductsandservices,imageiscertainlyimportant,butwithoutpositivesubstancebehindtheimage,failureisimminent.

　　Tosummarize,itisclearthatanappealingimageisextremelyimportanttosuccess,whetherthatimageisassociatedwithsellingaproductorserviceorwiththe“selling”ofaperson.Withoutanappealingimage,thereisnotmuchchanceforapoliticiantobeelectedorforanewproducttobecomeaworldwidehit.Butimageisonlyhalfoftheequation.Whatliesbehindthatimageiseverybitasimportantastheimageitself–