Way too many restaurants and retailers are abandoning their dignity by adding a sheet of paper as signage. I see it everyday, and I live in Yaletown – where EA, Blast Radius, Cossette and other brand aces dwell. Oohh the dichotomy!
If you are doing this at your store, please stop. You’re sabotaging your brand and culture by cutting the wrong corners.
If I was Mayor, there’d be severe punishment for this kind of wimpy signage.
I think it’s funny when companies or people at work try hard to sound super professional. They usually come across weak and lame. Why not just talk like people talk?
The lease sign above shows us that this leaser has a personality. No question more people will call because this professional sign is a bit casual/fun. via boingboing
And the name of the chip company below made me smile at the grocery store. You just know there’s a cool group of people on the other end of this bag. Yay Hippie Chips!
North Vancouver has signs along roads where deer are repeatedly maimed by cars, warning drivers of rhinos, camels and dead people.
Since the signs went up, the number of deer road kill has dropped by 80 percent!
People pay attention to things they’re not used to seeing. What can you do to make people do a double take?
Great article on this in Vancouver Magazine.
Mentos Gum’s Make Your World Go Rounder campaign, which promotes their new gum in a round tube, was a guerrilla marketing stunt in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. I saw them hop through Yaletown and everyone was watching.
The fun factor was definitely conveyed (Flickr), and it likely didn’t cost a ton to buy white jump suits and bouncy balls.
I’m not sure how strong their PR efforts were though. Their Twitter followers are few and other than the video below their YouTube views are VERY low. A good idea/stunt needs to be marketed properly.
The Yaletown phenomena Blo, where mostly women get their hair done (not cut) has had several dozen media hits – more than anyone I know – in Vancouver in two years for a few reasons:
1. Awesome concept
2. Amazing name
- many think it’s for those 2 reasons alone, but…
3. Very outgoing and friendly with the media
4. Consistently and aggressively looking for PR opportunities
4. Often a part of different events around town
5. Always finding ways to share their story in a fun way
Luck has nothing to do with it. Meet the Founders, and you’ll know in 5 seconds why they’re so successful and are building one of Canada’s next great brands. They have 3 locations in Vancouver and 2 coming in TO. Watch for mo Blo!
I just learned about O Noir – a restaurant in Montreal that is completely dark inside, and the servers and musicians are blind.
Their website explains the benefit of the experience: “When you eat without your sight, your remaining senses are heightened to savour the smell and taste of food.”
And 5% of profit goes to helping the blind.
Companies with this kind of mind blowing experience can rely entirely on free publicity and word of mouth for business.
Nissan Cube’s HyperCube: 50 Canadians win Nissan Cubes. Contestants create photo/video pages and must collect as many votes as possible – even on a daily basis. Vote for Maria!
Ford Fiesta’s Fiesta Movement: 100 ‘Agents’ drive Euro-spec Fiestas around the US for six months. Agents create their own routes and maintain a Flickr, Blog etc.. Follow my friend Jody!
These campaigs create a whole new level of publicity and awareness. Welcome to the way everything is going.
Sabotage your own ad campaign to get even more attention.
Normally I am adamantly against giving money to street beggars. But wait a second, did you just challenge my entire gender?
Now my pride is on the line.
He told me the giving is about 50/50 between women and men.
Come one guys, pay up!
When returning hardware to the phone company it’s easier to go to the source.
Here Tyler gives Telus back some unused parts to one of their drivers the easiest way possible.
“Best way to not take ‘no’ for an answer is avoid getting an answer altogether.” – Tyler
