Monday is Memorial Day in the United States.
Ryan Patrick, our Grand Poobah of Message Development (who also has the unlucky distinction of being my best friend for pert near a quarter century), received this email late last week:
Do. Not. Do. This.
How exactly does increasing your company’s traffic honor America’s heroes? Do not use the memory of our fallen soldiers as an incentive to increase traffic and potential upsells to customers.
As Scott Stratten said most simply: “Not every occasion is a selling occasion.”
Now, must you mourn Memorial Day weekend? Am I suggesting you and yours spend the weekend clad in black and rending garments? No.
In fact, no less than General George S. Patton said of remembrance of our soldiers:
Our Chief Plate Spinner, Laura Rickheim, found and shared that quote and made the word art highlighting it. She knows a thing or two about sacrifice. Her husband, Logan, served two tours in Afghanistan as a United States Marine.
So, please: By all means, enjoy your day. Please, too, remember why you have the freedoms you have on this day and this weekend.
Just don’t desecrate the graves and memories of the living by leveraging them for financial gain. Just. Do. Not. Do. This.
Shame on you, Valvoline.
If only Valvoline had waited a couple weeks…
Why couldn’t Valvoline have waited until Father’s Day to do this promotion?
Has any father in the history of ever not reminded their child to check the oil? Wouldn’t this have been a tremendous tie-in for Father’s Day weekend? The possibilities for promotional tie-ins are virtually endless. Giveaways. Trips. BarcaLoungers. Fishing equipment. Free oil changes until next Father’s Day.
Sigh.
BUT… there are ways to tie giveaways into more meaningful holidays.
The aforementioned Ryan Patrick recently wrote this ad (not to mention the one at the beginning of this post) after our team brainstormed about an upcoming overlooked (sadly) holiday.
Will it generate (a) huge sales or (b) an enormous amount of traffic? Not necessarily, nor is it meant to do so. Remember:
At Tim Miles & Co., we believe the primary goal of marketing and advertising is to be known, liked, and trusted before someone needs what you sell.
Back to Memorial Day… remember: Some gave all; all gave some. Thank you to those who serve, have served, and thank you especially to those who, as Abraham Lincoln said, gave “the last full measure of devotion.”
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