Category: Marketing - Reading the Signs

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Paul’s Barber Shop

22/7/2016

Maybe I am not alone.

Paul’s Barber Shop is at Dillon’s Cross in Cork. The telephone number on the shopfront has only six digits – we have had seven digits for many years now.

This gives me to suspect that the branding on the shop window post-dates the shopfront.

I wonder if there is another northside pedant out there and if he who pointed out the lack of the apostrophe. I wonder if he mentioned it before or after a haircut…..

Another Extention

19/7/2016

I suspect that there is only one ‘word’ who has provided a source for four separate blogs – that ‘word’ being ‘extention’.

This van was spotted in Tralee – so that makes two Kerry builders and two from Cork leading the campaign for an alternative spelling of ‘extension’ to be included in the dictionaries.

I promise that any future blogs on extension will include more than one ‘extention’ – so may take a while.

Making a Balls of it

1/7/2016

BALLUSTRADE - BALUSTRADE

Yet again, the construction sector comes up trumps – signwriting on a van demanding another blog entry.

For once, my three online dictionaries are in agreement and I am standing behind the same balustrade.

Some words are pronounced differently in Cork to elsewhere - committee (or ‘comet’ ‘tee’) being one. It may be that Carrigtwohill is striking out and starting its own spelling regime.

Or maybe it is just a balls-up.

Specsavers – Should have gone to consistency class

27/6/2016

I spotted this sign recently on Cook Street.

I stopped and considered. I would have used ‘have moved’ as I had filed Specsavers as plural. Thinking about it, I assumed the word ‘Specsavers’ was being treated as a singular ending in ‘s’ – fair enough….. for a while.

I believe that being consistent is an admirable quality – I have mentioned this more than once hereabouts.

Seemingly, this does not apply to Specsavers.

The Specsavers website has many references to the singular – Specsavers was; Specsavers was thrilled. It also has a few to the plural – Specsavers Ireland are proud; Specsavers announced that they; and, at Specsavers we.

One webpage even combines both – “Specsavers Kilkenny is thrilled” and “Specsavers Kilkenny have always supported”.

Establishing if you are singular or plural does not appear to be one of the reasons you should have gone to Specsavers…

Rubbing out Rubbish

15/6/2016

Once again, the construction sector provides.

Based upon the number of occasions they have provided the source of blogs, I do stop to read vehicles and signs on building site, probably more than any other trade.

Yet again, that policy has turned up a gem, not rubbish….

Fuller than Full

10/6/2016

I had always understood that one could receive Full Planning Permission (fully detailed plans) or Outline Planning Permission (scheme in principle but further details to be subject to later application).

These would regularly have been shortened to F.P.P and O.P.P. . These acronyms would have been regularly spotted in advertising and sitesigns. I have seen them regularly.

What I had not seen upto recently was ‘Full F.P.P.’.

Similar to blog on hair, I am lost as to how a planning permission can be fuller than full.

THE LEEDING MARKETING MESSAGE

3/6/2016

Sometimes the punchline can be too subtle...........for some.

Marketing Dept. ‘done good’

To start with, I am obviously writing about it and have been thinking about it since yesterday morning when I spotted the branded vehicle.

‘LEED’ is in (slightly) thicker lettering. It does have the registered trade mark logo after LEED.

Marketing Dept. and I obviously differ

‘LEED’ is not sufficiently different from the rest of the script to cause some (me) to ponder as to a spelling error. A different colour or lower case thereafter would have assisted distinction.

Is ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ the most important factor for a landlord/tenant/occupier when deciding on office fit-out issues? I suspect that when budgets are challenged, it may prove not to be the most important aspect.

After the spelling issue, my next thought was whether ‘LEED’ was a reference to power and so whether they only do electrical works?

And the winner is…

From the look of the van and the website, Mac-Interiors appear to be getting the message that they want to those that matter.

Once again, it probably just shows up how much (little) that I know about Marketing……

Washing The House

2/6/2016

Multi- Talented

If one is proficient as a painter and decorator, I would not be surprised to see marketing also mention wallpapering, possibly tiling or even building repairs.

But ‘Washing The House’ was a new service to me.

Visit Dungarvan Campaign

25/5/2016

With thanks to Doc for the photo

I suspect that Dungarvan Tourism are subsiding Bus Éireann fares to encourage passengers to spend some time in the town.

The bus from Waterford to Cork stops at Davitts Quay in Dungarvan. To avail of an €18 return trip to Cork, maybe the passenger has to get off and wait for the next bus.

I expect that the many people in Sales, Marketing, Ad Production and Proof Reading in Bus Éireann all knew that the Dungarvan tickets were cheaper and that the message on the back of the bus is correct.

With so many involved, it could never be a mistake, could it?

The Fada Has Landed

11/5/2016

2016.04.24

Maybe there is someone, west of Dingle, actually reading my meandering thoughts and scribbles.

Maybe Dingle Distillery spotted the issue themselves.

Maybe Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped the rogue off when he was passing.

However it arrived, the rogue fada has landed at Milltown bridge.

Permission has changed to a hundred.

2015.10.26

Cork – A City with Eight Quarters

6/5/2016

And there may even be more.

I have spotted a few tweets about the number of ‘Quarters’ in Cork. When the list was at four, it was thought that Cork had reached Peak Quarter, but then the list reached five - Huguenot, Victorian, Trinity, Digital and Brewery.

It appears to be the latest buzz-word for marketing people so there could well be others lurking around the city but there are at least three more to add to that list – Shandon Historic, Shandon Cultural and City.

I suspect that those marketing people may need to start thinking of something new.

I wonder how long it will take for those ‘quarters’ to be consigned to the less desirable addresses as could be argued happened to the ‘Lanes’ as remembered by Frank McCourt before Opera Lane attempted a revival.

Ridiculous use of a Capital Letter

5/5/2016

Liverpool

Marketing people could well argue that there is no such thing as bad publicity and that it is ‘the message’ that is the most important thing to be communicated.

For T. K. Maxx, they achieved those objectives.

This pedant accepts that he is in a (very small) minority that is discouraged from shopping where the shop cannot be bothered with accuracy. I am most likely not their target audience…..

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

A Cork Angel in Dublin

1/4/2016

Last week, I spotted this angel on the façade of Boots Chemist on Grafton Street.

It did intrigue as to how long it may have been there. I was not able to find any old photographs online.

There were quite a few Instagram sites with similar photographs but the gem of knowledge was provided by Rua Ruth who educated me that the angel is only resident since 1990, pre-dating Boots, having been made around 1900 and kept an eye on Youghal for many years.

The ‘To Do’ list has now got a note for old photographs of Youghal to try to find its original home.