Driving along the highway to my next client appointment this morning, I was stuck behind a huge dump truck for a while, as the traffic inched along. The truck was carrying a large load of fresh garden soil, probably top soil destined for the flower beds of one of the large condo developments along that part of the highway.
On the back of the truck was the name of the company, along with a telephone number and the slogan "Soil Yourself!".
No doubt the owner of the business thought it was funny and had put some thought into it before putting it on his truck. I had a bit of a chuckle myself, when I saw it.
But at the same time, it struck me that the owner of the truck had fallen into one of the most common marketing mistakes; trying to be humorous in our marketing.
Even if people find your humour amusing, does it sell? My belief is that generally it does not. What sells are clear benefits. In this case there were none.
The worst thing with humour, is that it is open to misinterpretation. Another challenge in these days of political correctness, is that others might find it offensive.
So why use something that hides your benefits, is open to misinterpretation or might create offence? In my view the most important thing in advertising is to create a clear Unique Selling Proposition and use it to succinctly communicate why people should choose you over your competition. See Street-Smart Marketer # xx for more information on creating an effective USP.
The Dangers of Humour In Advertising - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Hepworth's Website.
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