I should have turned around a taken a picture. Let me set a mental picture instead. It's 106 degrees - a warm day for late
September in Phoenix. I'm driving back to the office from a meeting. Up
ahead on the right there is a sign spinner. Local businesses hire people to
stand by the road and direct people to their business. He's not as active
as some of the really talented sign spinners, but he's holding a sandwich
board type sign and pointing at his employer's office.
As soon as I get close enough to read the sign, I know this guy is doing
more harm than good. He appears like he's homeless. I don't see his
clothes because of the sign, but his hair is showing & it hasn't been washed
in several days, he's got a grizzled beard and, while he might be a nice guy
looking for work, he appears to be someone you might cross the street to
avoid walking past.
The business he's spinning for: a therapeutic massage business.
My immediate thought connected the perception of this guy spinning the sign
with the idea of getting a nice relaxing massage. It wasn't a pretty
picture.
So many times we look at marketing as tasks that need to be accomplished (I
need a sign spinner from 4-6pm) rather than the perception we need to
generate (I have a clean professional office where you can relax and escape
the worries of the day).
I just thought it might be hurtful to the sign spinner to publish his
picture with this kind of rant, so I skipped the camera.
By the way, Google "The Medium is the Massage" for some marketing thoughts
from Marshal McLuhan.
If you need some nice signs made for spinning, I've got a couple of creative
contacts both here in Phoenix and in Sioux Falls. Drop me a line or contact
me through the McMarketingMedia home site
September in Phoenix. I'm driving back to the office from a meeting. Up
ahead on the right there is a sign spinner. Local businesses hire people to
stand by the road and direct people to their business. He's not as active
as some of the really talented sign spinners, but he's holding a sandwich
board type sign and pointing at his employer's office.
As soon as I get close enough to read the sign, I know this guy is doing
more harm than good. He appears like he's homeless. I don't see his
clothes because of the sign, but his hair is showing & it hasn't been washed
in several days, he's got a grizzled beard and, while he might be a nice guy
looking for work, he appears to be someone you might cross the street to
avoid walking past.
The business he's spinning for: a therapeutic massage business.
My immediate thought connected the perception of this guy spinning the sign
with the idea of getting a nice relaxing massage. It wasn't a pretty
picture.
So many times we look at marketing as tasks that need to be accomplished (I
need a sign spinner from 4-6pm) rather than the perception we need to
generate (I have a clean professional office where you can relax and escape
the worries of the day).
I just thought it might be hurtful to the sign spinner to publish his
picture with this kind of rant, so I skipped the camera.
By the way, Google "The Medium is the Massage" for some marketing thoughts
from Marshal McLuhan.
If you need some nice signs made for spinning, I've got a couple of creative
contacts both here in Phoenix and in Sioux Falls. Drop me a line or contact
me through the McMarketingMedia home site
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