Sometimes the Envelope Pushes Back

At the risk of "piling on" to the criticism of GoDaddy's wayward Super Bowl television commercial, I want to comment not just on the commercial, but on the process that allows these commercials to get approved and produced (at great expense).

If you haven't seen the commercial, it is a spoof on a classic Budweiser tv spot, but with a twisted and unhappy ending involving a very cute puppy dog. To view the spot, click here. 

GoDaddy has a reputation for producing ads which push the envelope in terms of good taste.  In this case, they decided to take on cute puppy dogs with a bizarre story line.  Anyone in advertising can tell you that cute children and cute animals are pretty much sacrosanct in terms of commercial portrayals.  I'm sure that, in the boardroom, the creative team said the ad would push the envelope and create a buzz.  In fact, it pushed the envelope so far that there was a firestorm of protest and the buzz that it created caused the company to pull the ad. 

I don't know what the production cost was, but it had to be in the high six figures. 

There are some that may argue that any "buzz" is good.  But if you have a choice, why not create a buzz that contributes favorably to the brand and its image?

Another case of the need for adult supervision in advertising. 

Managing the Little Things

Brands exist in the heads of consumers.  They are the net impression of all the interactions, exposures and experiences the consumer has.  That's why "little things" count when building a brand.  It's been said "how can you trust the reliability of an airline when the tray tables are dirty?"  Cleanliness, consistency, staff appearances, graphics, advertising "tone and manner" and much, much more contribute to the totality of the brand.

Unfortunately, managers often overlook the little things and the result is a less-than-perfect representation of the brand.

I was in a pharmacy which has a "minute clinic" that displayed this sign:

This clinic will close at 3 p.m. today due to staffing.

We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you.

The closest MC is Moilili 2470 South King St. 96826

Please call 1.866.2727 for questions. 

Now, that may not seem to be totally out of whack, but it is sloppy and with a little oversight it could be much better.

For instance ...

"Will close at 3 p.m. today due to staffing."  I assume what they really mean is that the closure is due to lack of staffing.  They're not closing because they have staff.  And, really, do you need to cite the reason.  Perhaps just say, 'for reasons beyond our control ... " or something similar.  The staffing mention tells me that they haven't hired enough people.  Do I trust them with my health?  Would a "real clinic" in an urgent care facility have a lack of staff?

"We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you."  "Will" is a pretty strong word.  "May" is better in this instance.  And, by the way, if you are inconveniencing your customers, wouldn't it be a good idea to compensate them for the inconvenience?  Maybe provide a coupon or a discount on a future visit.

"The closest MC ..."  Ok, employees, you know what an MC is, but would it hurt you to spell out "Minute Clinic"?  So often employees use jargon and acronyms that the customer may not be clued into.

 "2740 South King Street 96826."  Does the zip code need to be here?  Is the customer going to mail something to the other clinic?? 

"Please call 1.866.2727 for questions."  Wait a sec.  I'm calling them for questions??  I don't think so.  I have the questions.  I'm making the call for more information.  And, by the way, what are the odds of getting information about a local store closure from a toll free number?  Perhaps a better strategy here is to say "If you have questions about our clinic's availability, please see the manager at the customer service counter."

Whew.  A lot of little problems in modest little sign. 

Cause Related Marketing Done Right

Lot's of companies dabble in cause related marketing.  Often, they'll make a donation in your name when you make a purchase (dirty little secret:  it's often money they were going to donate to a charity anyway).  But, very often, the customer isn't very engaged and the cause is only a veneer covering old fashioned promotion.  

Hawaii's Foodland Supermarkets just launched a cause related marketing program that should not only boost sales, but it will engage its customers and could actually change behavior for a cause that Foodland is interested in:  increasing the consumption of locally grown food. 

Several elements distinguish this from a run-of-the mill cause related marketing program. 

First, they ask customers to "take the pledge" to eat local at least once a week.  To take the pledge, you have to go to the Foodland website (customer engagement) and register ... and by registering, you are rewarded by getting double loyalty points on locally grown and produced products.  Engagement and reward.  Don't they go together well?!

Secondly, there is a very specific call to action.  On Tuesdays (a light shopping day) Foodland will have special offers and demonstrations in store.  So, the program is actually designed to build traffic. 

Finally, the customer is further engaged through the offering of recipes, discounts and videos on the Foodland website. 

Cause related management has its own acronym:  CRM.  Oddly enough, CRM stands for another important marketing concept:  customer relationship management.  In this innovative program, Foodland handles both. 

Hey Verta Loc! I Can't Find My Time Zone!!

"Verta Loc" (a back brace device) spent a bunch of money to place a full page broadsheet in the Honolulu Star Advertiser with this graphic included headlined "To get your Verta Loc please find your time zone on the map ...."

Soooo ... this ad ran in Honolulu.  And the Hawaii time zone is not on the map.  Moreover, assuming the 800 number works from Hawaii (which isn't always the case), the ad would have Hawaii residents start calling at 4 a.m.

You wonder if anyone ever checks the ads to make sure that they're relevant to the market.  And you wonder if people have yet figured out that Hawaii became a state in 1959. 

Customer Service Nightmare - Fake Service Animals

I recently stayed in a hotel where, during breakfast service, a guest brought not one but two large dogs into the dining room.  Each was on a leash and each had a vest indicating that they were "service animals."  They didn't seem to be trained (not even garden variety obedience training).  The problem is: anyone can go online and "register" and animal (and buy a vest) without any requirement to prove that the animals indeed meet the definition of service animal. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act defines service animals very broadly:

A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

 Further ...

 Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

The problem is that there is no verification requirement and, as a result, people are scamming the system, buying fake vests for Fido so that Fido's owner can flagrantly disregard the "no pets" rule at most consumer establishments.

The problem for front line service employees is that it is unlawful to bar a bona fide service animal from an

Order this Vest Online

establishment.  The business could easily be sued if a person with a genuine disability was barred in error.  So, the quiet hotel breakfast I expected was disrupted by a selfish scofflaw with two untrained animals in tow.

I suppose this trend is yet another example of consumers feeling entitled to write their own rules.

Maybe it's time for the government to tighten up the definition of "service animal."

In the meantime, the challenge for businesses is to train front line employees to identify the fake service animals without denying services to disabled customers.

It's a tough one.