Welcome back to another edition of Merely Informational and Incapable Marks.
The above neighborhood Applebee’s is on my usual route to going anywhere from our home, so I’m predicting I’ve passed by well more than 10,000 times.
The temporary “Dining Room Open” signage is a recent addition from a few months ago, when Minnesota
Common sense probably dictates that if you take the time and effort to create, build, and position signage to help sell what it is you’re selling, the sign should be visible, right?
Especially in these tough times, when you’re selling real estate, and this is the view from the road:
Then again, maybe not, especially if you’ve adopted a business
The words we choose to use in commercial signage, advertising, and marketing materials mean something. That’s why we use them, to communicate a fact, an opinion, or perhaps some other message.
The use of certain words, can carry implied meanings too, some intended, and perhaps some unintended.
For example, yesterday Seth Godin wrote this about
Sorry, I couldn’t resist snapping this photo tonight at the local Sears appliance store:
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Could Sears be going green and saving some electricity?
Could Sears be suggesting it is ready to carefully listen to your requests and/or complaints?
Or, has Sears found a creative way to promote its sale of Ultimate Ears earphones in the
Guys and gals on the street waiving orange flags aren’t the only parking lot lures in Twins Territory:
We’ve talked before about how some of those doing business or advertising in close proximity to Minneapolis’ brand new Target Field — home to the Minnesota Twins — appear to see advantage in using the Twins name (and now
–Dan Kelly, Attorney
Which of these two signs (generally speaking, not these specific signs) do you think has sold more beer?
or
It stands to reason that COLD BEER signs have probably moved more product than BUDWEISER signs in the history of time, but, as with all things, context is important.
Merge the above train
As promised, here are some additional thoughts (beyond the very frank and practical non-legal advice already shared by Jason Voiovich) about Lion’s Tap’s trademark infringement case against McDonald’s over the “Who’s Your Patty?” slogan.
Here’s the multi-million dollar question: What did McDonald’s know and when did they know it? Those are questions likely
Hopefully you enjoy riddles. It is late Sunday afternoon, 4:30 pm to be exact. Too early for valet parking at Fogo de Chao, a wonderful Brazilian steakhouse, so you drive two blocks and enter a parking lot with the following sign:
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You had a very nice dinner and now you’re ready to leave the parking lot at 6:15 pm. Based on the above sign (and contract, by the way), how much do you owe the parking attendant? Instead of humming the Jeopardy thinking music theme song, might I suggest you consider humming the 1970 Five Man Electrical Band tune “Signs” during your calculation. And for any ’70s challenged folk, I’ll prime the pump for you: “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind, do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”Continue Reading Are Your Business Signs and Brand on the Same Page?