Retail Rant

Scenario #1

I recently went to a nearby office supply store to make a few copies.

“Hi. I need three copies of this document on white cardstock.” I wanted to see feel the weight of the paper, so the associate fetched a sample for me.

“Do you have anything heavier? Like just one “weight” up?”

“Yes, but it only comes in gray,” said the associate.

“Gray? You don’t have it in white?”

“No, but you can buy a ream of it and then we can print on it.”

“But I only need three copies. Why can you print it in gray, and not white?”

“We are not allowed to print on the white heavy cardstock.”

Um. Ok. “So you can print on GRAY heavy cardstock, but not white? I don’t understand.”

“It’s just our policy.”

Let me get this straight. I’m at an office supply store that sells paper. I can print three pages on GRAY heavy cardstock, but not WHITE. I would understand if they cardstock was too thick to go through the printer. But that’s not the case since they can print using a different color. So I can spend $15 on 500 sheets of heavy cardstock to make $3 worth of copies, because “that’s our policy.”

I left without making my copies.

Scenario #2

I need a pair of jeans. I go to a nationwide clothing store that I know sells pants in short, regular and long lengths, and being 5’ 2” it’s quite an accomplishment to buy pants that do not need to be hemmed.

I’m looking through the shelves of jeans. I see lots of “shorts” on a top shelf, and lots of “longs” on the bottom shelf. Being vertically challenged, I can’t reach the top shelf, so I must find a store associate to get them down for me.

Maybe I’m going out on a limb, but wouldn’t it make more sense to put the “shorts” on the lower shelves, and “longs” on the top shelves? You know, because taller people, who probably wear “long” might be able to reach the top shelf. Seems logical, but I’m not in charge of the clothing displays.

At this same store, during the summer, they have mounds of flip flops in fun colors. They are arranged on a wall, rows and rows of them. I see all the smaller sizes way up high so you need a ladder to get to them. Here again…maybe I’m wrong…but generally speaking, aren’t women who wear a smaller shoe size going to be shorter? I know there are exceptions, but most of the time, isn’t that the way it works?

So again, wouldn’t it be more logical and appropriate to put smaller sizes on the bottom, and larger sizes up higher? Just a thought.

Scenario #3

I have complained about this before, but I feel I must complain more.

Are baggers at grocery stores taught to put all “like” foods together in one sack? This is a problem when they put 15 canned goods all in the same canvas bag. Why, you ask? Because then it weighs 35 pounds. I may be small, but I tend to think I’m a pretty strong girl. But every time I grocery shop this happens…unless I specifically hover and tell them NOT to put all the heavy stuff in one bag. But isn’t this just common sense?

Two half gallons of orange juice plus three 64 ounces bottles of Gatorade can all fit in one bag, but that doesn’t mean they should. Why not two bottles of Gatorade and three boxes of crackers?

And all the produce in one bag? That’s gets heavy too. Why not fill half the bag with produce and then put a loaf of bread on top? Or that stack of paper plates? That way I don’t need to call the winner of the Iron Man competition to help me unload my grocery cart.

Thanks for listening. I feel better now.

PR :: Back to Basics

Social media is (still) the shiny new object in the communications industry. Companies are flocking to Facebook, Twitter, G+ and YouTube to disseminate their message, using fun apps like Instagram and hiring social media managers to manage it all.

But are we forgetting that the basic premise behind these platforms is communication? And the ability to communicate well is a basic and extremely important skill for those in public relations and marketing.

Writing.
According to a recent statistic, you have 2.6 seconds to get someone’s attention. Good writing is the key. Bad writing will defeat you. Lose the jargon and simplify your message.

Planning.
A well thought out communications plan can work wonders for your public relations efforts. A plan encompassing both your paid advertising and your PR efforts is imperative to any successful campaign. The plan should include an editorial calendar for your email communication. Some companies even have a calendar for their social media posts.

While I think some social media planning is helpful, the majority of your social media posts cannot and should not be planned. After all, it’s communicating in real time, so who can determine what you will be discussing in two days, let alone two months?

Consistent messaging.
An important part of a public relations professional’s job is to ensure the brand they are representing is consistent in all areas. Do you use the same tone? Convey the same message? Use the same logo, fonts and colors? Does a printed piece reflect what your website looks like? All those pieces should fit together so anyone who sees and reads your information knows exactly where it came from.

Visuals.
A good photo or graphic can make or break your message. If using a photo, make sure it is in focus and clear. Does it tell a story? Is it compelling? Remember, a photo or video shared on social media sites can be shared and shared again…so make sure it represents your brand.