Sunday, April 27, 2008

Proper Grammar

I was at 7-11 today getting a Slurpee because the temperature is well above 90F (32C).

My brother Andrew pointed out to me a signed taped to the slurpee machine. It read "Slurpee Lids Is Right Behind U" and I just had to take a picture.



This is a perfect example of unintentional marketing. Assuming people notice, and I'm giving most people the benefit of the doubt here, people are going to add this to the "negative" category for the store. This will probably not stop anyone from shopping at 7-11, but it is one of those things that can add up with a number of other small things that eventually lead to an overall brand image of a company.

If shoppers saw this sign at a store like Nordstrom or Saks Fifth Avenue (taped, poor grammar, and using a word like "U"), some people might even walk right out of the store. This shows that small things like this are important, especially if they do not fit into the brand. At 7-11 this kind of sign is not that surprising because it fits with the ring of dirt where the floor meets the cupboards, and the nacho cheese crusted dispenser. This is also one of the marketing things that are really only noticeable if done incorrectly. I don't think anyone would complain or stop shopping at 7-11 if this sign was done correctly.

In conclusion, marketing is simply not advertisements, but rather a compilation of everything an organization does, especially those things that are evident and visible to the consumer.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Totally hear you. This kind of stuff bugs me to no end! Sarah is big on typos too. She'll through away an advertisement or brochure with misspellings or poor grammar!