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Can't Leave Good Enough Alone
Jun. 2nd, 2010 06:05 pmWhile stopped at a light I spotted the following on the back of a truck which was a few vehicles ahead of me:
Infinite Granite, Ltd
Solid Surface
Solid Service
I thought that was a nice, clever catchphrase. Then the light changed and as the truck pulled away I was able to see that there was an additional line:
Solid Reputation
Way to spoil it! That extra line destroys the elegance of the preceding two, shifting the catchphrase from memorably clever to forgettably banal.
I can easily imagine this being the result of the owner of the company not trusting the marketing professionals to do their job. Doubtless the conversation went something like this:
Pro: Here's what I've come up with: "Infinite Granite, Ltd. Solid Surface. Solid Service." Catchy, huh?
Owner: Nice, nice. You know what would be even better? Add "Solid Reputation" to the end of it.
Pro: Uh, well, that would sort of spoil the whole effect. "Surface" and "Service" sound similar, which is what makes the phrase memorable. "Reputation" is pretty much random.
Owner: Random? I pride myself on IG's reputation! Always have. It's the cornerstone of our business!
Pro: Sure, I know that. I didn't mean it that way, just that "Reputation" doesn't fit in with the whole sound and feel of the rest of the phrase. This is supposed to be something which is quick and memorable, not a laundry list of all the things which make Infinite Granite a leader in its field.
Owner: Seems to me you don't understand how important a company's reputation is.
Pro: I do, but a reputation has to be conveyed organically. It makes no sense to just go around saying that you have a good reputation.
Owner: The only organ I care about is the heart and the heart of this company is our reputation. Besides, there's plenty of room on the back of the truck, so add it.
Pro: You're the boss...
Solid Surface
Solid Service
I thought that was a nice, clever catchphrase. Then the light changed and as the truck pulled away I was able to see that there was an additional line:
Way to spoil it! That extra line destroys the elegance of the preceding two, shifting the catchphrase from memorably clever to forgettably banal.
I can easily imagine this being the result of the owner of the company not trusting the marketing professionals to do their job. Doubtless the conversation went something like this:
Pro: Here's what I've come up with: "Infinite Granite, Ltd. Solid Surface. Solid Service." Catchy, huh?
Owner: Nice, nice. You know what would be even better? Add "Solid Reputation" to the end of it.
Pro: Uh, well, that would sort of spoil the whole effect. "Surface" and "Service" sound similar, which is what makes the phrase memorable. "Reputation" is pretty much random.
Owner: Random? I pride myself on IG's reputation! Always have. It's the cornerstone of our business!
Pro: Sure, I know that. I didn't mean it that way, just that "Reputation" doesn't fit in with the whole sound and feel of the rest of the phrase. This is supposed to be something which is quick and memorable, not a laundry list of all the things which make Infinite Granite a leader in its field.
Owner: Seems to me you don't understand how important a company's reputation is.
Pro: I do, but a reputation has to be conveyed organically. It makes no sense to just go around saying that you have a good reputation.
Owner: The only organ I care about is the heart and the heart of this company is our reputation. Besides, there's plenty of room on the back of the truck, so add it.
Pro: You're the boss...
