The words "Free" and "No charge"

[jmatt]

I think the "hanging around" idea is really bad. Personally, I hate suicide jokes (hits too close to home for me), and I know there are many people that feel the same way. I really like your "lovable robot" idea, and I think you're building a very positive image with it.

Here's hoping those opportunities work out for you!

Same here. When I told them I lost my brother via suicide, there was a palpable panic in the meeting room. They immediately stopped pushing the idea and apologized. I'm not super-sensitive about it and wasn't emotional or anything, but why push weird buttons for the viewer?

I appreciate your words of support.

Another unexpected response: I was called by two different radio stations today within an hour of each other. I have meetings set with both for tomorrow.

There's not much room left in the ad budget but I'm happy to entertain offers. Who knows? Perhaps I can work a barter arrangement or something. I'm just delighted that it seems to be catching the eye of other powers in the area.

 

[TenYardFight]

Same here. When I told them I lost my brother via suicide, there was a palpable panic in the meeting room. They immediately stopped pushing the idea and apologized. I'm not super-sensitive about it and wasn't emotional or anything, but why push weird buttons for the viewer?

I appreciate your words of support.

Another unexpected response: I was called by two different radio stations today within an hour of each other. I have meetings set with both for tomorrow.

There's not much room left in the ad budget but I'm happy to entertain offers. Who knows? Perhaps I can work a barter arrangement or something. I'm just delighted that it seems to be catching the eye of other powers in the area.

One thing is for sure. Ads breed ad salesmen.

 

[jmatt]

Well, it's paying for itself. Been up for two weeks and we just got a $4,000 job to do some imaging work for a charter school nearby. The guy mentioned he saw the sign and that's what compelled him to call.

They've got 250 workstations. He's asking about an ongoing MSP package too. 215 of the units are laptops, so I'm sure we'll pick up some screen replacement work, etc as time rolls by.

I'm very excited about getting our foot in the door, school's tend to be very "clubby" and I'm going to try to parley this into more work at other schools.

Other updates: Well, the billboard company is not as eager about changing the sign as I hoped. I asked if they could switch it out and she said it was being moved soon, they'd rather wait for the move. So "whenever I want" isn't exactly true yet. But we'll see.

The guy who called about the workstation builds hasn't called back, so I guess that went nowhere. But all in all, I'm delighted.

Oh, and one other thing I've learned: Billboard companies (actually any advertiser, including radio) has to let you out of the contract within 30 days. It is illegal for them to force you to exercise your right to free speech. They cannot force you to "say" something you do not want to say.

 

[TenYardFight]

Oh, and one other thing I've learned: Billboard companies (actually any advertiser, including radio) has to let you out of the contract within 30 days. It is illegal for them to force you to exercise your right to free speech. They cannot force you to "say" something you do not want to say.

No way. They aren't forcing you to speak, they are forcing you to pay the money you promised to pay. Stay silent of you want. Link? I'll buy your lunch.

 

[jmatt]

No way. They aren't forcing you to speak, they are forcing you to pay the money you promised to pay. Stay silent of you want. Link? I'll buy your lunch.

That's what I was told by one of the radio advertisers who pitched me. I explained my deal with the billboard company and she said it was the same with them, they can't enforce the contract beyond 30 days if I want out.

I can't attest to whether that's legally true, I can only tell you what I've been told by them. My billboard salesperson didn't bat an eye when I asked if I could get out of the contract (she may have even brought it up, I can't remember), but she explicitly wrote it right into the contract.

In any event, after only 2.5 weeks the alternative billboard is up in a new location, right on a bridge with nothing else to see. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

 

[TenYardFight]

That's what I was told by one of the radio advertisers who pitched me. I explained my deal with the billboard company and she said it was the same with them, they can't enforce the contract beyond 30 days if I want out.

I can't attest to whether that's legally true, I can only tell you what I've been told by them. My billboard salesperson didn't bat an eye when I asked if I could get out of the contract (she may have even brought it up, I can't remember), but she explicitly wrote it right into the contract.

In any event, after only 2.5 weeks the alternative billboard is up in a new location, right on a bridge with nothing else to see. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

Since she wrote it into your contract, you are in good shape. Hope you continue yielding great returns.

 

[jmatt]

Here's the alternative sign, targeted toward residential. The new location is a heavily trafficked bridge between Allentown and Bethlehem, PA.

 

[JustInspired]

I love it. Makes me want to have a mascot instead of just a boring logo.

 

[jmatt]

I love it. Makes me want to have a mascot instead of just a boring logo.

The tag line on that sign was actually inspired by a thread I read on this forum a while back. Somebody was saying that they were trying to get people to sign up for newsletters on their site, etc etc a whole involved process with filling out forms, etc.

Someone else responded that prospects don't want any of that, they don't want to be your best friend -- they just want you show up, fix it and go away. And I believe that's true.

So I went looking for simplicity. What's in the client's mind?

I have a computer problem.
I want the problem to go away.
I want the solution to be simple.

And out of that I came up with that tag line, which is on all our residential marketing materials.

Now, clients also want the solution to be cheap -- but I don't believe in trying to be the cheapest guy in town and would never want that to be the basis of the first phone call.

 

[jmatt]

Okay, time for an update:

My experience with the sign is that it doesn't generate a lot of traffic to my site. I've gotten a corporate job or two from it, but the "click" cost is probably 500 times more expensive than a click from my Google Adwords campaign.

Now, I've been told by a lot of friends "Hey, I saw your sign on the highway..." so there's some brand recognition going on. The dopey robot is very memorable.

Last week, I was thinking of ending the campaign; it's a lot of money. But we signed a new client (pretty big) two weeks ago. The owner told me "I don't care how much the service costs, money is not an issue. I just need expert help and total accountability."

I always find it amazing how many corporate clients tell me they don't care about cost, they just need a reliable partner.

On our second visit, the owner asked me "Hey, do you guys have a billboard out on the highway? When we were looking for IT support, one of the employees mentioned it and said we should call those guys with the robot. Now, that's not how I found you, but as soon as I saw your website I knew you were the company she was talking about."

That made my day.

The billboard isn't advertising; it's marketing. It's about branding. It's about creating positive reinforcement for people who come across our website later on.

If you're curious and want to peek at my website (it's nothing special), all I ask is that you go there directly and not via the ilovetherobot.com url on the billboard. That messes with my Google Analytics making it difficult for me to track real client traffic.

 

[Sam Marlowe]

My man, excellent presentation there. I love what you did.