Why is this acceptable?

Heinz Organic Ketchup, Ruddy Potato, Bowen Island, BC

The "upside down" ketchup bottle was designed to deal with an old problem, ketchup would flow slowly especially in the old glass bottles.

So this new bottle is designed to be store lid down. But the lid is a bit narrow and the bottle is thus somewhat unstable on the shelf. So the solution is to place the bottle on the shelf upside down.

The result is the label is upside down, which can't help sales. So, make the lid larger and more stable, supply a caddy to hold bottles on the shelf lid down, or put labels on both sides of the bottle with the top of the label towards and away from the lid. (i.e. Put a label on the other sides of these bottles with the label rotated 180 degrees.)

Using prices to drive demand

Sign outside Cactus Club Cafe, Park Royal, West Vancouver, BC

When times are slow you can either close the doors or try to increase the sales. Happy Hour is the textbook example of the later.

In this case the three hours between the lunch rush and the dinner rush from Monday to Friday represent an opportunity for Cactus Club Cafe to try to encourage its patrons to spend more. And the same can be said about the hours after the dinner rush, 9:00 pm to close from Sunday to Thursday.

Critics might say that this sort of variable pricing will encourage consumers to drink more while the prices are cheaper. The flip side is that these businesses are facing high fixed costs and Happy Hour is just an effort to extract a bit more revenue from slower periods. I suspect the former is true, but these businesses will insist that it is the later.

By your shape shall we know you

Drinks menu, Central City, Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC

The shape of the Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognizable and recognized pieces of packaging in the world. And the shape of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whisky bottle and the distinctive font are also quite easily recognized.

So the combination of the two bottle silhouettes on the cover of this drinks menu should tell customers what to find inside.

I'm just a bit surprised that Jack Daniel's and Coca-Cola would permit the use of their logos together.

Don't lie to me!

Subway advertisement, Renfrew SkyTrain Station, Vancouver, BC 

Subway advertisement, Renfrew SkyTrain Station, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Location specific advertising can be great. But in this case someone seems to have actually measured the distance and found the flaw in this Subway advertisement.

This is not the first time that Subway has got into trouble over its inability to measure. In 2013, Subway faced a multi-million dollar lawsuit over the fact that the "footlong" subs were less than 12 inches.

In its defense Subway claimed that "footlong" does not imply that the sandwich was actually 12 inches long. I find that a feeble response.

If you are using units of measure to promote your business it is incumbent upon you to ensure that you use those measurements correctly.

And if you don't expect to be called out by the public.

Put it back properly

Handbag in display window, Dior, Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Handbag in display window, Dior, Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

This kind of reminds me of the story of the bus driver who said that he could keep to the schedule if he didn't need to keep stopping to pick up passengers.

Display windows are intended to grab the consumer's attention and get them to come into the store and purchase the items. But elaborate display windows are a pain to disassemble to sell a single item. In this case the the display is a single handbag on a shelf. What could go wrong?

In the top photo the handbag is sitting in the middle of the shelf. In the lower photo the handbag is a bit crooked and is sitting off to the right of the shelf.

I would presume that the handbag was removed from the window to show to a customer and then replaced in the window when the customer decided not to buy it. Given the prices charged, and the number of staff in a store like this I would expect better. If you put it back, put it back properly.

"Greater Value", and the firm still had almost 60 good years ahead

General Motors advertisement in The American Weekly (Week of October 10, 1948)

Old advertisements can tell some rather interesting stories. Back in the late 1940s, General Motors (GM) was an umbrella of seven marques. Some of these; Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC are still in production, while others; Body by Fisher, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac, have fallen by the wayside.

Was GM's story really about value? And what was the difference between the various marques? In the mid-20th century the difference was huge. Oldsmobile was home of the Rocket and Cadillac was the epitome of luxury in North American automobiles.

I think that you can make a case that GM did offer distinct value. The marques all produced very different vehicles with their own unique looks and features.

But in the late 1970s and early 1980s GM made a few cost-saving moves that stripped the marques of their unique personalities. Oldsmobile cars were equipped with Chevrolet engines, and in the early 1980s Cadillac launched the Cimarron, a vehicle based on  a platform shared with the Chevrolet Cavalier, but at almost twice the Cavalier price.

Some say that GM's 2009 bankruptcy was at least partially the result of the firm losing its way and homogenizing its product offerings. Sounds reasonable to me.

Girls' Club - No Boys Allowed

Sign for Bikram Hot Yoga, City Square, Vancouver, BC

Sign for Bikram Hot Yoga, City Square, Vancouver, BC

It is a stereotype, but like most stereotypes there is a germ of truth; yoga is predominantly a women's pastime. Although firms such as lululemon have done everything they can to encourage men to take up yoga, the uptake has been slow. (In a lululemon store the men's wear is frequently on prominent display at the front of the store.)

But the reality, and the advertising, tells a different story. Women form the overwhelming majority in most yoga classes. And with advertising like this that shows only women, that trend is likely to continue.  

Can I still use this coupon?

Advertisement for Heinz Soup, The American Weekly (Issue of October 10, 1948)

You wouldn't see something like this today. The glaring omission is an expiry date.

But there are a couple of things I do like. The text at the top, "Valuable Coupon", and the request to "Take this coupon to your grocer". Although the word "supermarket" had been around since the 1920s, even in 1948 the smaller grocery stores was still an important part of the food retail business.

At the risk of looking like a complete idiot, I'd almost be tempted to try to redeem this coupon. It is only 67 years old after all.

Yellow used to be illegal

Delrich Margarine advertisement, The American Weekly (Week of October 10, 1948)

Margarine was invented in the 1869 as a lower-cost replacement for butter. Since that time dairy producers have rightfully seen margarine as a serious threat to butter sales.

In the United States one response was to pressure lawmakers to prohibit margarine makers from producing a product that looked like butter. Margarine was required to be white, although manufacturers could include yellow colouring with the margarine as long as the consumer was responsible for mixing in the dye. In January 1948, William Dennison filled a US patent for "Oleomargarine package and method of making". The plastic package included a "color berry" with the required yellow colouring.  This eliminated the need to mix the margarine and dye in a bowl.

The "color berry" is long gone, but it was not until 2008 that margarine producers in Quebec were permitted to sell their product in "butter yellow".

A welcome sign of civility

Sign and spare inner tube on the Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, BC

I saw this sign and inner tube on August 20th on my ride in to school.

It is simple acts of gratitude like this that restores my faith in humanity. Nothing big, not a huge expense, but a very nice gesture from a fellow cyclist.

I wonder if evo, the brand of inner tube, will use this to their advantage?

Color or Colour?

Corn Bicolor sign at Superstore, Vancouver, BC

I thought that the Canadian spelling was "colour". And it is interesting that everywhere else in the store "colour" is used.

So why use "color" here?

Bad design or bad installation?

Gold Seal Tuna advertisement on transit shelter, Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, West Vancouver, BC

The text at the top of the frame should not be cut off. Either the designer didn't know the viewable area of the frame, or the people from Pattison installed this sign the wrong way.

But it doesn't really matter whose fault it is, this advertisement fails the readability test. And if the consumer can't read it, then they won't pay attention.

Making things confusing

Laptop memory choices, Best Buy website
(Source: http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/category/laptops-ultrabooks/20352.aspx?NVID=BTS2015categorynav_computinggroup_laptops_en)

I might be looking for a new computer, so I had a look at the Best Buy website to see what the options were.

This list of System Memory (RAM) options is one of the most confusing things that I have ever seen. I would be good if the options sorted from smallest to largest. But no, the memory options are listed by the first digit in the memory size. Hence 12 GB and 16 GB are listed between 1 GB and 2 GB. (And don't get me started about the apparent difference between 12GB and 12 GB.)

If you confuse the customer you will just send them elsewhere. And they may never come back.

Can Best Buy really afford that? Not if the firm hopes to avoid the fate of Future Shop. (And yes, I do know that Future Shop was owned by Best Buy.)

Coming soon, and I'll be there

Advertisement announcing the opening of the Vancouver Nordstrom store, transit shelter, Vancouver, BC

Only one month to the opening of the Nordstrom store in Vancouver. This will be among the more eagerly anticipated retail openings in quite a while.

The store seems to be taking shape and I'm sure that there will be lots of people in line for the grand opening.

After the fiasco that was Target's Canadian adventure, Nordstrom is taking a much more studied approach to opening stores. One store at a time, in locations that have been well researched, and with staff that have been very well trained.

I fully expect the store to be a success.

Back from obscurity

Heinz Ketchup bottle with Trivial Pursuit game (Front)

Heinz Ketchup bottle with Trivial Pursuit game (Reverse)

In the days before Google and smartphones, it was sometime hard to find the answers to trivial questions. And hence the 1980s hit game Trivial Pursuit.

Today, I find students are using their phones to both satisfy their curiosity and find the answers to questions that arise in class.

And so has a good memory and a grasp on trivia become unnecessary, or at least unappreciated?

Students are surprised by the stuff I remember, but then I am surprised at the pop culture that they know.

For me the interesting outcome will be what from today will be important or remembered  in 100 years. I don't hold out much hope for the longevity of anything or anyone connected to "reality" TV.

Yes, but what other carcinogens might be included?

Attitude Body Lotion bottle, Safeway, Vancouver, BC

Attitude Body Lotion bottle, Safeway, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Evidently this chemical, 1,4-Dixane/Ethylene Oxide is a carcinogen. And this bottle of Attitude body lotion is free of this chemical.

That is great. But the cynic in me asks if the ingredients have been tested for the presence of any of the thousands of other known and suspected carcinogens.

I not saying that this bottle is filled with cancer-causing substances, but the company stating that the ingredients are free of a single carcinogen should not be interpreted as meaning that it is free of all carcinogens.

Inflation by stealth

Package of doughnuts from Walmart

Package of doughnuts from Walmart (Detail)

According to the Bank of Canada the current inflation rate, May 2015, is 2.2%. (Source: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/indicators/capacity-and-inflation-pressures/) Yet some observers have noted that the price increases are actually much higher. Some of the price increases are easy to see. When the price of gasoline goes from $1.10 per litre to $1.30 per litre the price increase in undeniable.

Yet other price increases are less noticeable. Walmart sold a box of a dozen muffins for $4.00. Walmart still sells a box of a dozen muffins for $4.00. The inflation is reflected the number of muffins and thus the cost per muffin. The new box only contains nine (9) muffins, so a price increase of 25%. Peek Freans did it with cookies reducing the number of cookies while keeping the box the same size and going from 350 grams to only 300 grams

2013 Packaging

2014 Packaging

Coca-Cola has done it with the personalized bottles of Coke changing the size from 591 millilitres to 500 millilitres.

Yes it is a small detail, but one that leads to higher prices for consumers and higher profits for brands and retailers.

This looks serious. I'd better call straight a...Wait a minute

Pop-up message in Chrome

Pop-up message in Chrome (Detail)

Finding a virus on your computer is a cause for concern. Finding a hoax such as this less so.

And the giveaway? Three spelling mistakes in the pop-op windows, and one is a lovely Freudian slip.

"Window's" when it should be "Windows", "viurs" in place of "virus", but best of all the Error Code about "insteall the definition updates".

I tell my students about the importance of good English. I'll show them this as yet another example.

Colour-coded to make the customer's job easier

Three varieties of Mott's Clamato, No Frills, Vancouver, BC

Colour is commonly used as a signalling device by brands. Yellow is the colour of the leader's jersey at the Tour de France, brown is UPS's signature colour, and Ferrari is known around the for its signature red.

Mott's has just introduced a new flavour of Clamato. The firm uses the blue lid colour to indicate the original flavour, the red lid colour to indicate the Extra Spicy flavour. And now with the introduction of a new flavour, Lime, Mott's has added a third lid colour, green.

This makes perfect sense. Limes are green and consumers should make the association between the colour and the flavour.

Live by technology and die by technology

Horrible photo of the beer menu board at Central City, Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC

At the new Red Racer restaurant there is a large video display that lists all of the beers and ciders available on tap, along with the prices and how much remains in the barrel. (Please excuse the horrible photo taken on the sly from the bar.)

The computer that controls the display runs on Windows 8. And that is why the display has been hijacked by the date and time in the lower left corner, and the "search, share, start, devices, settings" options on the left.

Two problems.

1. This video hijacking happened
2. None of the staff noticed it for an hour.

Red Racer is a very nice space with a remarkable range of beers. However, as in any hospitality business, there are a million little details that set the good apart from the great.

Finally, an honest survey question

On-line survey from U-Haul

On-line survey from U-Haul (Detail)

I teach marketing and last week I was talking to students about surveys and bias. This has to be the least biased survey question I've ever seen.

I don't know if "Poor" and "Excellent" are perfect opposites, but given that "Average" is right in the middle, I think that U-Haul has approached this from a pretty honest perspective.

Full marks for transparency.

How do you eat a bowl of chilli?

Bowl of chilli, Central City, Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC

Last week I was in at Red Racer, a new restaurant on Beatty Street in Vancouver. I ordered a bowl of chili for dinner.

The chilli came in a simple white bowl with a plank of wood as a serving tray. No problem there.

But how would you eat a bowl of chilli? Knife and fork? That is what the staff gave me. Knife and fork wrapped up in a black fabric napkin. I had to ask for a spoon.

The black napkin and plank serving tray were nice touches, but thinking that I would need a knife to eat chilli is a bit bizarre.

As I've said before, another of the million little details that separate good from great.

And is it my imagination or does that look like a slice of Kraft processed cheese on top of the chilli?

Oh darn, I missed that offer!

Royal Bank of Canada advertisement, SkyTrain, Vancouver, BC (August 7, 2015)

Having advertisements up on public transit almost two months after the offer has finished is inexcusable. But it is something that happens far too often.

I've been meaning to take a photo of this one for a while and am amazed that it is still up weight weeks after the offer ended.

Looking for logic, and not finding enough

Menu page at Red Racer Restaurant (Note the price of the first item)

Menu page at Red Racer Restaurant (First item on the above page)

Menu page at Red Racer Restaurant (Note the price of the third item)

Menu page at Red Racer Restaurant (Third item on the above page)

Consistency may be the hobgoblin of small minds, but it can make life easier for both customers and staff.

On one page of Red Racer's menu I see prices listed in dollars and fractions (15 1/4), on another I see prices listed in dollars and cents (14 75).

Why not be consistent?

Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest

SmartMove Tape - 3 Bedroom Kit (Front)

SmartMove Tape - 3 Bedroom Kit (Reverse)

I've moved more times than most people. (At last count it was close to 40 times.) The key to a successful move is organization and planning.

Last month I helped a friend move. I rented a U-Haul cargo van and emptied out the storage locker at their condominium. While I was standing in line to get my van I noticed these packages of tape.

I've done similar labelling when I've moved, but have used coloured stickers. These rolls of tape seal and label in open step. Simple and smart.

I wish I'd thought of that.

How fresh is your snack?

Lay's Classic potato chips

Highly perishable foods such as dairy and meat have had manufacturing and/or best by dates on the packaging for years. In what seems to be an effort to get consumers to think of their snack foods and more "healthy" firms such as Lay's are now including a manufacturing and best by date on the packaging.

While fresh is certainly preferable, I don't know if this will convince anyone that a potato chip is a healthy snack. Tasty yes, but healthy perhaps not.

A proud display

Absolut vodka display, BC Liquor Store, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Absolut vodka display, BC Liquor Store, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

Last week was the big Pride celebration in Vancouver. Parties, events, concerts, and a couple of parades. Absolut vodka has been a support of Pride and the accompanying human rights issues for many years. So it is not surprising that the brand came out, so to speak, with a limited edition bottle in the colours of the rainbow flag.

While supporters of Pride would undoubtedly make the connection, Absolut was not overt about the events that the new bottle was commemorating.

So is this a cop out? Should Absolut been more overt about the events and issues that it was attempting to capitalize on? Some would likely say so.  

Why can't people get the little things right?

Menu binder, Central City's Red Racer Restaurant, Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC

I know it seems petty, but it is really so hard to hole-punch the menu pages so they fit in the binder properly?

As you can see there is much more pace at the bottom of the page that the top. As a result the pages don't turn easily as the bottom of the page runs into the metal lever at the bottom of the binder. In addition the holes on the pages are not even all in the same place. There is about a 1/4" difference among the pages.

It is not the end of the earth and didn't render the menu unusable, but is indicative of a level of sloppiness that is not a fit with the restaurant's image or prices.

Is a pirate the right image?

Advertisement for the Richmond Night Market, SkyTrain carriage, Vancouver, BC

Around the Vancouver area there are a few night markets. The best known, and longest running, one can be found in Richmond. It has been in operation since 2000, and according to the market's website is the largest night market in North America.

At the Richmond Night Market you can find a wide range of food and merchandise. And there is lies the thorny issue. The night market has become known as a place to find counterfeit goods.

So is pirate duck really the right image for a market known as a good place to find counterfeit goods? Is piracy of branded goods a serious issue, or are pirates just good clean fun?

While the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise would have us believe the later, any business that has suffered at the hands of "pirates" knocking off their patents, trademarks or copyrighted products would likely argue the point.

Losing sales, or potentially the future of your company, to sellers offering pirated goods would be a concern for any CEO. The most ironic instance I know of is a Chinese firm Ninebot which sold knockoffs of Segway scooters. Segway accused Ninebot of patent infringement. Ninebot did so well selling these knockoffs that is made enough money to buy Segway. The deal was announced in April 2015.

Back to school goodies from Shoppers Drug Mart

Teen Pack for girls at Shoppers Drug Mart, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Teen Pack for boys at Shoppers Drug Mart, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Gear for Girls at Shoppers Drug Mart, Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC

Every year Shoppers Drug Mart works with it suppliers and rolls out these boxes of goodies. There are versions for boys and girls, although only the "Gear for Girls" pack is explicitly marked with a gender.

Why do Shoppers and the brands involved produce these packs?

The simple answer is to help consumers gain experience with the products, and ultimately become loyal customers.

In my AATPRP model I propose that consumers need to be lead through a number of stages to become loyal and long-term customers. The stages are; awareness, attitude, trial, purchase and repeat purchase.

These packs neatly accomplish the first three. Does this sort of sampling lead to the development of loyal long-term customers? Given the breadth of data that Shoppers collects with the Optimum programme the results are highly measurable. If it didn't work, I think that it would have been abandoned long ago.

Well, what did I expect?

Coffee machine at 7-Eleven location, Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC

The $1.00 latte was pretty dreadful. I had intended to go to the coffee shop across the street, but it closed early.

And so, taking my tastebuds in hand I ventured across the street to 7-Eleven and gave the $1.00 latte a try. I got my dollar's worth. My latte was machine made with coffee beans and real milk. (I saw one of the employees reloading the milk reservoir from a 4 litre jug of milk.)

If you were desperate it was drinkable, but it resembled cafe lattes only inasmuch as it had the same proportions of coffee and milk.

Would I buy another one. No. Is it value for $1.00? Probably, but just not for me. Removing the labour content reduces the costs and therefore the price, but it also removes the soul and consequently much of the flavour.