I was walking through Yaletown in downtown Vancouver the other day and I saw this sign outside of a real estate sales center. The type is a little small, but it says:
“A” is for August, please come inside for more details”
What do you think about this marketing?
Would you go inside to find out more details about August?
Drop your thoughts into the comments.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE – I went inside and asked the question about this sign. You can see the details here in the comments.
8/16/2008 at 7:04 pm
I love random things like this. Marketing is not a battle of business, its a battle of perceptions. I walk the street of Yaletown every week and rarely notice anything unless its new or different. Most likely A for August wouldnt get me through the door but it did differentiate itself from the other street signs and it did get us to blog about it. Kudos for whomever this is just for updating their marketing (which i think most businesses are so lazy about) or even more so, whatever it is because it to take 30 seconds out of my life to make me think about them.
http://www.ianwatt.ca
8/16/2008 at 7:07 pm
No
Why would I want to come in to find out why “A” is for August?
8/16/2008 at 7:07 pm
It’s quirky at best. No call to action.
8/16/2008 at 7:26 pm
It is a pretty good promo but I don’t know if this headline will get people in the door to find that out.
8/16/2008 at 7:28 pm
@ Matthew – what is the promo?
8/16/2008 at 7:35 pm
It entices me to come in and find out what “A” stands for, but not convinced it’s going to really drive up business (if that’s what they are wanting to do) simply because I don’t know yet what A stands for. (if I made any sense)
8/16/2008 at 8:23 pm
I would notice it and be curious but I wouldn’t go in to ask.
8/17/2008 at 6:52 am
Well, I was a first and second grade teacher….so naturally this type of advertising always interests me. I once got Courtney Love to take a picture with me at an event where she was obviously heavily guarded…I told her that I needed a picture to represent the letter “C” in my pocket chart for the following week.
I think anyone that has fond memories of learning the basics in elementary school may also be interested to see what else “A” stands for. Just a thought! Now if you didn’t have a cool teacher (like me!) you may run screaming from this type of educational advertising.
8/17/2008 at 6:55 am
I would find this completely interesting but not enticing and thus I wouldn’t go in and ask. That being said, if I ever did find out what they did, or interact with them in anyway, I’d always remember this and associate them with that whimsical advertising.
8/17/2008 at 8:18 am
So is August a new condo development or are they just going to change this 12 times a year?
8/17/2008 at 9:31 am
I am tempted to go find out based on this dialogue…however that may ruin the intrigue that is building.
Without this conversation would I go inside to find out…..no.
It seems a little to random. I guess with greater context such as the name of the business or observing through the windows what the product may be, it may be effective but as is it could range from something I could buy with the change in my pocket all the way to million dollar condos the signage alone fails in my opinion.
8/17/2008 at 10:13 am
On a side note. This is a great example of how the brand is in control of the consumer. All of the comments here in this blog post are about a companies marketing; it is a great example of how a company can loose control of their marketing. The people behind this advertisement should be watching for stuff like this and get involved in the conversation. Hopefully we will see some comments from them soon. I look forward to their side of the conversation.
8/18/2008 at 7:58 am
8 comments and counting. I’d say that’s pretty effective marketing!
8/18/2008 at 7:59 am
Check that. 14 comments and counting!!
8/19/2008 at 9:22 am
Just takes one to be interested and then it multiplies on and on and on.
8/19/2008 at 10:03 am
It does get ones attention and makes makes you think whats the deal with August? I don’t think it would get me inside but I would ponder it for a couple minutes and then move on to my previously interupted train of thought.
http://www.team5650.com
8/19/2008 at 12:00 pm
I asked myself, ‘Self, why would a real estate company want a bunch of random people coming in to talk about the letter A?’ It occurs to me that most people probably wouldn’t randomly go in and ask about it. However, when real estate services become a need, this company downtown with perplexing advertising in the window will probably come to mind. So that’s a winner in my book!
8/19/2008 at 4:45 pm
Toronto Condos….how can this be effective marketing when we still have no idea what we are being prompted to purchase?
So they have spent money, time and energy and we as consumers have no idea what they are offering us. Sorry I am on the ‘not effective’ side of the fence.
As Shane said, no call to action. Allow me to repeat myself…what action would I take, I have no idea?
8/19/2008 at 10:46 pm
The marketing approach has obviously caused us all to be curious.
One tweak I would add to the sign…
“A is for August”
Go to http://www.mywebsite.com/A for more info
I imagine myself walking down the street with my family on the way to David Lam park. I see the sign… I’m curious… I want to know more, but I have somewhere to be or kids that I’m keeping on a tight leash. I can’t see myself interrupting my whole day to stop in on a whim.
“come inside for more details” – There is a call to action, but it is the wrong one.
8/20/2008 at 8:33 am
I think it is not the come inside for more details but as Lisa puts it, the memory later. Often, in real estate, we are marketing for the future. Not everyone has a real estate need this minute, but down the road they will remember that there is an office in Yaletown with some quirky advertising. Maybe they can get buyer’s attention if I list with them. I think it has risen interest so yes, it is effective.
Did it sell the people commenting here? Not directly, but it succeeded because it got them talking and if they were Joe Q. Public, the company would come to mind later. Not all marketing is for an immediate response and not all of it should cause you to jump to action at that moment. Branding is important and sometimes something whimsical is just as effective as something more concrete.
8/21/2008 at 11:40 am
UPDATE – So I popped into the office that has this image on its window to ask the question everyone is talking about in this blog. “What does A is for August mean”?
Kelly, the rep sitting at the desk there said that it is for their August promotion of the plan A units in their new building at 999 Seymour. The A plan units are the smallest in the building and from the sheet that she gave me, they start at $445,000 for 626 sq ft of space.
So, now what do you think of this marketing?
I will say that it did get me to go in, but no totally. I wrote this post cause I thought it would generate some interesting discussion and I went in to get the answers so that I could update the post.
8/21/2008 at 11:51 am
Still no dice…
The gap between the hook and the product is way to large…
As a consumer I am skeptical of marketing that utilizes a significant void of information to draw you in. My brain wonders “What is it about your product that you are not willing to share up front, or worse you are hiding?”
In this case I don’t think the intent was to hide anything or be deceitful, however for me it had the same effect.
8/21/2008 at 12:52 pm
Funnily enough, I found this email in my inbox from Friday. Subject: 999 Seymour – A is for August
A is for August. (Although, you might have thought it was for Apple or Aardvark or Arithmetic.) But, it’s also for Plan A, which happens to be our fully furnished Display Suite for 999 Seymour.
The Plan A (like many of the plans at 999 Seymour) features deep, wide decks with seamless transitions between the outdoor space and the indoor space. A custom designed sliding glass wall system opens to more than half the width of the home allowing for great air – and people – circulation.
A is also for Amazing Architecture. And 999 Seymour delivers with thoughtful modern architecture by Acton Ostry Architects. (What do you know? Another thing that A stands for). 999 Seymour will surely be a landmark in downtown Vancouver on the corner of Nelson and Seymour.
Crisp interiors by Evoke International Design demonstrate the timelessness of a simple, modern and sophisticated aesthetic. Custom milled kitchen cabinetry with fully integrated appliances, polished concrete floors, built in recycling drawers and ample, convertible storage space are features of these tastefully designed homes.
As a consumer, I like it. But only if I had read this email. It definately would have kept them in the forefront of my mind when I then saw this sign.
8/28/2008 at 1:44 pm
Hello fellow bloggers. Thanks for all of your comments. Duly noted. Our marketing and sales team at Townline were behind this “quirky” campaign that you have been speaking of. Sorry for not adding to the discussion earlier, though it was quite fun to read along before Stephen took the plunge and went in to speak with Kelly.
You may all have gone on to bigger and better things at this point, but wanted to mention that (a) the sign and total promotion put us out less than $500 and got some great response, and (b) that you should keep your eyes open for Septmber’s “theme” (and no, it will not be “S is for September”!). Based on your comments, we might consider changing the call to action from “see inside for more details”, though! Warm regards.
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