I was driving to work the other day listening to more bad news about the economy.  I started sighing out of frustration.

Then I saw this truck in front me.  It  immediately changed my outlook.  Look at that picture on the back door.  Brilliant.  See how it catches your eye?  You pull up behind it and think, “Whoa — the door is open and some guy is about to drop food on my car!”  But then you see the smile.  It’s inviting, and quickly you realize what the company does. http://www.myfoodpro.com/

My point: it doesn’t matter whether the economy is in the tank or not.  If you have something that customers need (and in this case, we all still need to eat) you still can produce effective marketing.

Marketing guru Robert Middleton, www.actionplan.com always says that   marketing has to be FUN for YOU, the marketer, or else you will find a zillion seemingly valid reasons why not to do it.

I bet whomever came up with this picture on the back of the truck had a lot of fun.

And here’s another example.  I recently visited a vendor in Wisconsin.  As I headed back to the airport, my hosts directed me to a local legend, Kopp’s Frozen Custard. http://www.kopps.com/

Oh my, it was a fantastic treat — (yes, even in February) 

But besides that, imagine my impression as I pulled into the parking lot and saw in the back this outdoor artwork of cows. 

Cow artwork at Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Milwaukee

How much fun do you think was involved in creating this project?  And do you suppose that the combination of an excellent product and this most unusual marketing display will be quickly forgotten by me? 

So, in conclusion, yes, we must all keep examining closely the relevancy of our products and services . . . and especially in these times, review the pricing as well.  But once we are satisfied that our products and services are sound, we need to keep marketing — and do so with more fun and creativity than ever. 

I welcome your comments below.

You may also be interested in reading my blog about attending Robert Middleton’s Fast Track to More Clients seminar last summer in NYC: http://tinyurl.com/4ykpa6

Contact me at dryan@VideoLabs.net  or 301-217-0000 x104.

I also invite you to follow me on Twitter:  www.Twitter.com/DRMediaSolution