For small businesses — in fact, even for large ones — free publicity can be a golden ticket to name recognition, increased web site traffic, and more sales. But to get it, you have to make nice with journalists.
Take a look at this article from Jakob Nielsen that’s packed with really great tips on how to make the most of your web sites’s PR area. Don’t have a PR area? Read the article to find out why you should.
Lowepro is a company that makes camera cases. This is the tag that was attached to one of their products. Unfortunately, in the smaller text, they got their name right in every language except English. Whoops! Misspelling your own company name is a sure way to damage your credibility — and your brand.
Besides the terrible image quality (my fault — no proper camera nearby), what’s wrong with this ad for a Clarins free gift promotion at Sears?
While it is nice that the promotion allows you to choose one of four different skin-care sets, the phrase “right to choose” is entirely inappropriate here.
Why? It’s loaded language. It’s a phrase that — like it or not — references a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. That thought will enter the mind of almost every person who reads the ad. Perhaps no one told the ad writers at Sears that abortion isn’t an issue they should allude to in their copy.
I’m all for cheeky word play and clever pop-culture referencing. Done well, it can make an ad for a dull product sparkle. But make sure the cultural reference you make is appropriate, unless you’re specifically trying to stir up controversy.
