Say “No” to Telemarketing Spam
Tired of telemarketers calling during the dinner hour? Well join the club!
A friend’s FaceBook post this past week reminded me that not everyone may know about Canada’s national Do Not Call List. Here’s what you need to know:
“If you are a consumer you can choose to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive by registering your residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number on the National DNCL. You can also check your registration, find out how to remove your number from the National DNCL, and file a complaint about telemarketing calls.”
Registering your number on the DNCL won’t eliminate all those potentially irritating phone calls.
“The exemptions include telemarketing calls made by, or on behalf of:
- Canadian registered charities;
- Political parties, riding associations and candidates; and
- Newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.
Telemarketing calls from organizations with whom you have an existing business relationship are also exempt.”
Way to go Canada! For more info and to add your name and number to the list, check out the DNCL website.
Auto Industry Commercials
In my last post I begged readers to please send a memo to the North American auto industry asking them to put a little creative thought into their ads. Here’s what I mean…
First, an ad for the Ford Sportka out of the UK:
Here’s another funny ad, though not for the car this time. This one’s from Norway:
Truly Memorable Advertising
The majority of mass marketing and advertising is highly unimaginative. (Please, please, will someone give a memo to the North American auto industry?! They are in dire need of a new creative approach.)
So, when something comes along that makes me laugh, and I remember it long afterward, track it down, and it STILL makes me laugh? That is truly remarkable. I’m not a huge fan of their coffee, but I do love this ad:
Eye-Catching, Memorable Signage
I came across Sawatsky’s Imagination Corporation at a tradeshow recently and was impressed and delighted by their creativity and lack of limits when it comes to creating three dimensional signs and engaging environments.
Imagination Creation’s award-winning designs have been showcased across North American, which makes me especially pleased to mention they are a local business, based right next door in Chilliwack, BC.
I also love that I can imagine Dan’s parents when he was a kid saying “Stop all that doodling and get serious. You’ll never have a career in that!”
Imagination Creation has fun stuff for theme parks, which is a natural fit with Dan’s style, but he’s also found ways to incorporate a memorable and slightly irreverent attitude for more corporate and blue collar businesses.
This guy “gets it” in a huge way and that’s refreshing. So much signage gets lost in the clutter, but this kind of style and personality will stand out anywhere. And that’s what good marketing is all about.
So, no more excuse for boring, blend in with the background signs. When you could have this much fun with something as functional as signage, why wouldn’t you?!
