You Can’t Have it Both Ways!
Sometimes advertisers forget that we consumers can read – and think.
So… they make statements that contradict, or are just untrue.
For instance, tonight I was doing dishes and started reading the labels on the bottle of dishwashing detergent. At the top of the bottle there was a sticker that read “New! Now gets more dishes clean with every drop!”
Farther down, the label said “Original formula.”
So… which was it? New or original?
They do the same thing with offers for something “Free.” They use that word to get you interested in whatever they’re offering, but later in the promotion they’ll happen to mention the shipping and handling charges. And generally, those charges are more than the cost of whatever the free item might have been.
Another one I thought was strange…
Sometimes I get emails with links to free samples. Since it’s fun to get silly things in the mail, if I have a little extra time, I order these samples. Not long ago one of the promotions was for a free bottle of shampoo. That sounded good, so I ordered it.
What I got instead was a coupon to take to the store. It said it was good for a free bottle – and in small print “Up to $1.79.”
Guess how much the shampoo cost? Just under $3.
Now, maybe they intended it to be free. Maybe if I lived in a big city with discount stores I would have found it for $1.79. But I don’t know, because I’m not going to drive an hour to look for a dollar off on a bottle of shampoo!
Here’s something that actually is free…
If you happen to sell real estate, you can get some free letters to use in your prospecting. You’ll find them at Copy by Marte.
All you have to do is put your name and email address in the box, and the letter you want will be on its way to you.
Posted: January 22nd, 2011 under advertising.
Tags: advertising