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Some really really bad copywriting

crosstourThis appeared in the American edition of the new Honda Crosstour ads. (That’s a new car that is basically a bloated Honda station wagon. I like it on some levels and hate it on others. The same footprint could yield far more utility than the Crosstour delivers.)

Incidentally, the ads are really unappealing, design-wise. (My suggestion? Use regular color when visually describing a product.)

And by the way, there is a much cooler Honda in a similar vein that one can buy if they live in Japan: the Stream. It doesn’t have America’s unfortunate SUV aspect in its flavor mix.

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Money saving tip

toothpaste-saveThe little things add up.

I shared this tip before but there are enough people who didn’t see it that it’s worth sharing again.

One way to save time and money is to cut your toothpaste tube – just as you finish. Then you can dip out about 5 more brushings’ worth.

Money? About 1/150 of the cost of a tube. Time? You won’t have to rush off to your toothpaste seller as quickly. Environment? If millions of others join us in this habit, we will be helping tons of fewer tubes to be manufactured and then thrown into landfills.

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Maybe a wrong decision

stihl-adStihl makes chainsaws. The recently ran this ad campaign trumpeting the fact that they do not sell their products at Home Depot or Lowe’s (giant DIY stores for those of you outside the US). They sell exclusively through independent dealers and want to keep it that way.

When the iPod was introduced, it was only sold at Apple Stores or online through Apple’s Store. Maybe a year later, they opened it up to just about any retailer. Good choice. Stihl? Pay attention.

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Inflation is a funny thing

kenya-shillingWhen this coin was minted in 1971, it could buy a lot more than it will today.

I will never understand world economies. Why does the price of petroleum go up and down? Why does the stock market dive when there is a the slightest whiff of a rumor about some economic change, even if it is fully unsubstantiated? Why do the supermarkets drop prices on staple foods all at the same time when if they kept the prices higher, they would profit more?

I think the real answer is that no one knows except God.

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Salesperson guilt

ADT_Flat_LogoSaturday, a salesperson for a security company came to our door. I cut him off after about 2 sentences – but felt guilty doing so. The guy was a bit worn-around-the-edges, and he looked like he could have used the sale. But we cannot afford to pay the monthly fees for such a system. And thankfully, our neighborhood has low enough crime that we really don’t need it. (Nor do we have that much a thief could fence easily – except the computer I am typing this on.)

Should I have felt guilty? Or should I have felt good about not wasting his time in presenting a pitch that would have fallen on deaf ears?

One way to kill the guilt has been this… When it’s hot outside, we offer door-to-door salespeople a cold drink. But I didn’t think to offer him a hot cup of tea.

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Expect less than perfection

wsj-defectThe Wall Street Journal used to be a pinnacle of perfection. No more. This mistake (Dec. 31) slipped past the copy editor.

The problem? Their budgets are shrinking like everyone else’s. It used to be that they could afford enough copy editors so that this kind of mistake would never happen. Now? We need to expect more mistakes. Perfection is just too expensive.

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Kashi got it wrong

kashi-badI like natural cereal, when I can afford it.

I was surprised when I opened this package of Kashi cereal. There was a full 5 1/2 inches of air between the top of the cereal and the top of the package. I might expect that from Kelloggs or Post – but not from a manufacturer who says they care about the environment.

I realize the “contents may have settled during shipping”. But that percentage of settling is huge.

I also understand the need to give consumers a sense that they are getting a lot for their money. But that feeling wears off very quickly when the consumer is shocked like this. And I understand the need for a product to be a “billboard” on the shelf.

If manufacturers could all agree to use real packaging, the playing field would be level. (Ha – that will never happen!) Transportation and packaging costs could be saved. Be courageous, oh you cereal manufacturers! Make your small packages a statement of how you care for your customers and the environent!

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