Paul Merrill
I know, you thought I was going to say how they are stupid to play that game where the salesman says, “Let me talk to my manager…”
Wrong.
A big mistake they make is to advertise without giving a price. Most potential buyers looking at such ads quickly graze over to the next car that does have a price – and then call that number.
(By the way, I do like Minis – but I’m not in the market for a car.)
It’s wonderful when a company uses a model that actually looks like someone who could use that product!
These two ads appeared in a local free advertising-only magazine. It’s the sort of publication that usually ends up in the recycle bin without opening it. (I sometimes have a quick glance through if I have time, as there are occasionally good coupons.)
This time two companies struck out. The plus-size shop used a non-plus-size model. The Life Alert people showed a lady who is most likely too young to use such a device. (My mom uses one, and they can be a genuine life-saver. But she is not young, and she would not mind my telling you that.)
Companies, please – there are beautiful mature ladies and beautiful plus-size women. Don’t be afraid to show them when they are your target audience.
(Or it would be, if I lived in Kenya…)
Orange, one of the two biggest celphone service providers there, has this ad running now: “…get yourself the plan which will make your life complete”.
Shoot – I wish I had learned a long time ago that a mobile phone plan was all it would take to make my life complete. I may not have gone to college, had I known that. Or I could have skipped any number of other expensive and time-consuming things I’ve done.
(Special thanks to Josh, who sent me the ad.)
Auntie Annie’s came out with a new product – pepperoni pretzels. I dunno about you, but that totally does not look appetizing to me.
This is another case of some marketing people saying, “How can we sell more product?” and “Maybe if we create this new thing, it will be a huge hit and expand people into luxury [expensive] pretzel consumption like never before!”
My take? Wrong.
This is not a product review – I have not tried them. Given the chance, I’d deny myself that thrill.
Yes, the picture came from our Sunday newspaper’s coupon section.
Cholula had a great idea – make their hot sauce available in little packets so that restaurants could provide that bit of spicy yumminess in small easy-to-carry-away containers.
I have seen small Tabasco packets before (at a Chic-Fil-A), but this was the first time I had seen Cholula. Maybe Cholula will slowly carve some of the market that Tabasco has created.
I love how they put a photo of their bottle on the back of the packet. In essence this says, “If you like this, pick up a bottle to enjoy at home!”
What are some ways you can offer what you do in smaller “packets” that are cheaper or easier to grab? What are some ways you can expand where your services are offered?
