Category: Branding - Reading the Signs

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Hello! Sex?

13/2/2018

The longer I reside on this planet, the more I become convinced that my mind will never become in tune with the mind of those involved in Marketing and Branding. They have provided many items that have provoked blog posts hereabouts.

Sunday morning in Dunshaughlin, I spotted this van and stopped for a while to consider how many ways there might be to pronounce it. No matter how I tried, I could not get past ‘HOW. SEX.’

For those of a certain vintage raised on movies of Cowboys and Indians, ‘HOW’ was a greeting repeated during streetgames and elsewhere. Raise one’s hand, palm facing away, say ‘HOW’ – was as good as ‘HELLO’ for most to whom it was addressed.

Today, I learned that ‘HAU’ was a term of greeting used by some American Indian tribes only. The movies did not distinguish and it was used by all – Sioux, Choctaw, Apache, and many more.

The pronunciation has rolled around my brain since Sunday morning and the best I can come up with is a speed dating type scenario – ‘HOW! SEX?’

I am not sure that is what SHOMERA or HOUSX intended. I suspect that would like their garden rooms to have many possible functions.

The website address on the van does not exist and is available to buy. The CIRI Register has a different website to the van.

Maybe the branding is a devious ploy for pedantic bloggers to spread the name – if so, it worked.

Stealing The Eye Out Of Your Head

13/4/2017

Or should I say, ‘Stealing the ‘I’ from your alarm system’.

I spotted this van this morning on the way for my coffee fix.

I first wondered if ‘NTRUDER’ was a branded alarm system. Then I noted that ‘INTRUDER’ was printed elsewhere on the vehicle.

I walked on smiling in admiration at the person who stole from a security company.

May The Art Be With You

4/5/2016

Having spotted quite a references today recognising it as Star Wars Day, ‘May the 4th be with you’, I thought it a good day to mention the advertising campaign of the ItMustBeDingle Art Gallery.

It brought a definite smile to this face when I came across them a while back with the site of the new film being set up in the background.

Enjoy.

More than once… I suspect

5/4/2016

Land Rover or Landrover?

7/11/2015

I always understood that it was two separate words – Land Rover. The Land Rover website does confirm this.

It does make one wonder as to how much of a specialist they might be. Is it actually a specialist of Land Rover vehicles?

Eir – Own Goal

24/9/2015

Brand Awareness, Yes
Positive Brand Association, NO

Of all the corners in the city…….

I spotted this advertising sign earlier in the week and was angry.

There are so many empty buildings; run down buildings; even, derelict sites upon which a marketing banner might actually be a benefit in hiding dereliction.

But Noooooooooooo!

The Marketing Department of Eir obviously left their common sense with the Com bit that has been discarded from Eircom. They decided to cover up the most interesting and recently completely corner in Cork.

From twitter, I see that I am not alone in being annoyed but the banner will remain until Sunday.

The genius in the Marketing Department has succeeded brilliantly in brand awareness but at a cost.

In this potential customer’s mind, the brand will forever be associated with tactlessness and complete disregard for community, art and heritage. I doubt it is a brand that I ever wish to give my custom.

Stress - Compliments of Bus Éireann

13/7/2015

It is just the way that I am wired, but spelling and grammatical issues in advertisements and notices do bother me. Maybe for just a while - until I can rabbit on about them here.

When I saw the back of the bus trying to promote stress free, it had the opposite effect on me.

Why is there a fada/accent over the ‘E’? It made absolutely no sense – until I spotted another bus trying to encourage me to be brave.

I presume that there is a rebranding campaign imminent and Bus Éireann will be adopting BÉ – which is a new nod to Irish spelling which had not existed with C.I.E.

Autoglass Repair, Autoglass Replace – Autoglass Confuse

7/7/2015

Our nine year old will sing along to the jingle – it is that engrained.

Stuck in traffic, I was reading the message on their van and was definely left with more questions than answers.

How does a chip crack?

If a chip cracks, would that not be better for your windscreen?

Do they repair the chip on the windscreen?

I think I need a holiday…..

Bright Spark

24/4/2015

Maybe it is a reminder to self as to how to differentiate between Earth and Live wires.

Maybe there is some Spanish blood in El Ectrical.

Maybe it was deliberate to promote discussion, or even for inclusion here.

Or maybe the proof-reader didn’t do a perfect job.

Reducing To Nonsense – Chapter 3

28/3/2015

Variety Cooked

Does this mean cooked in a variety of ways?

Or maybe they only do food of the cooked variety? Even though ‘variety’ would not be a word that I would have used in that sense.

As I understand Salami, and Chorizo are not cooked. But they are a pizza topping. Help……..

What is Freezer Food?

24/3/2015

Does a Deep Freezer need food to keep it powered as an alternative to electricity?

Frozen is an adjective so it can describe a state of food – ‘Frozen Food’ – that is in regular use.

Freezer is a noun. So ‘Freezer Food’ must be ‘Food for a Freezer’.

Or maybe it is food that cannot be eaten immediately but must spend some time in a Freezer.

Help……..

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

15/3/2015

Ten days ago, I was convinced that Eason’s had erred in their signage in their shop window.

Every day since, I have spotted other shops who agree with Easons.

I had understood that today was a day for all mothers and so assumed it was “Mothers’ Day” – but seemingly not.

Wikipedia advises that it was intended the day should be for each family to celebrate its own mother and so ‘Mother’s Day’.

But it still appears grammatically incorrect to me.

‘In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and created the Mother's Day International Association. She specifically noted that "Mother's" should "be a singular possessive, for each family to honor its mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers of the world."’

Wikipedia

I see that Hallmark still continue to take issue with the use of an apostrophe. Castle Jewellers has a similar condition.

But Will They Respect Me In The Morning?

4/3/2015

MEOW – Maybe Even Others Wonder

Maybe Even Others Wonder about Marketing People and how their brain works.

Maybe Even Others Wonder if those responsible for the name of the organisation ever pronounced it with a Cork accent and heard ‘Lay Ye’

Maybe Even Others Wonder, when they pass the building or hear the advertising, if they are alone in thinking of being screwed by the insurers.

Maybe Even Others Wonder, when that thought passes, it is replaced by the same insurers attacking you.

Maybe Even Others Wonder is it only them whose next thought is of gambling.

Maybe Even Others Wonder as to ‘Looking After You Always’ or maybe I am just catty

I'll Treat Ye Decent

O I'll lay ye doon, love, I'll treat ye decent

   I'll lay ye doon, love, I'll fill your can

   O I'll lay ye doon, love, I'll treat ye decent

   For surely he is an honest man

The Risks of Sport Sponsorship

2/3/2015

Eaten Bread and all that…..

The team may like to reference its tradition and the history of previous matches and campaigns – but a sponsor may be treated differently. A sponsor can gain from being associated with a team, but there does not appear to be any past – just a present and a future.

Toyota were the main sponsors of Munster Rugby from Summer 2004 to Summer 2013 – during which period, it was reported that they invested €13m. In 2013, SEAT became Car Partners to Munster Rugby. Within months of the end of the Toyota sponsorship, it was as if they were never there with Munster staff were changing to driving SEAT cars.

When I saw this on the Bank of Ireland premises at 32, South Mall, I got to thinking about the difficulties of being associated with a professional sports team.

The Marketing Dept probably spent some time deciding on the message to be conveyed and the actual wording to accompany the image. To my reading, Bank of Ireland were linking into the group spirit and being at one with the team – ‘We’re with you every step of the way’.

All that appears fine until half way through the year, the player featured shows his determination and decides to step away and join another team.

So are Bank of Ireland I step with J.J. in thinking it best to leave here…..

If the Marketing Dept knew then what they know now, would the message and image be together?

An Acknowledgement

22/2/2015

Acknowledgemen Cards

I would have thought that, of all enterprises, a printing company would be one of the most diligent with regard to spelling, grammar and proofreading.

Obviously, I was wrong.

PrintSave have opened recently on Cornmarket St – I hope that they have a spare ‘t’ hanging around. I suspect that every time I head to the Coal Quay Saturday Market, I will be looking o see if the ‘t’ has been added.