Jon Schallert's Marketing Bone-Head Award of December 2004 -- Small Businesses Discussion Forum

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Subject: Jon Schallert's Marketing Bone-Head Award of December 2004

Author:
Dennis S. Vogel

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Date Posted: 00:03:16 12/03/04 Fri

Jon Schallert's Marketing Bone-Head Award of December 2004
He visited a friend in a hospital. His friend complained extremely about the lack of service from the hospital staff. He knows healthcare isn't what it should be.
When he entered that hospital, he noticed the hospital's main trophy case. In view for everyone entering the hospital, the corporate owner of that hospital put in an award for "Cost Reduction Efforts: Highest Percentage." He thought, "Could this award be related to our friend's complaints?
He wrote, "It's important to understand every visible aspect of business you put in front of the public either contributes to or deteriorates your marketing message. Guess what this award was doing?"

Yes, this could convey the message "Don't blame us for the high cost of medical care, we're saving you money."

But when this is combined with bad - or nonexistent - service ... Maybe that hospital is the Wal-Mart of medical "care." Maybe it's owned by Wal-Mart.

I'm disguising the name of this medical facility. When I was doing marketing research for a medical care provider, some respondents complained to me about one of the client's competitors. The first name of the person memorialized by the competitor was Myrtle. Because of the bad or nonexistent care at Myrtle's place of memorial, people call it "Murder Memorial."

Be careful about business names. Before Allegheny Airlines closed down, it was called Agony Airlines.

It's hard to positively motivate consumers & employees if the name is spoofed. Though I used to work for Montgomery Ward (before they announced the store was going to be permanently closed) people said I worked for Monkey Wards. This is no joke or lie, the company announced it would close the store down during "Employee Appreciation Week" in November 1983. It was finally shut down in February 1984 within a month after the Challenger space shuttle exploded.

Morale fell further because we felt less than appreciated.

While we're on the subject, have you heard about the trouble Wally World has gotten itself into?

Dennis S. Vogel
thrivingbusiness@email.com
Your business�s health depends on you to give it a healthy dose of great marketing. Start your business�s journey to better health here -
http://web1.lakefield.net/~thrivingbusiness/

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