Where this picture came from

I honestly have no idea where that photograph originated.  A friend of mine e-mailed it to me as a funny joke.

When I first saw it I laughed but then realized that this was an example of some very clever marketing.

Be Memorable

One of the keys to successful marketing is that you do something that makes you stand out.  If you do something that gets people talking about you then you’re far more likely to be successful.

Seth Godin covers this in some detail in an 18 minute video that you can watch here.

Take It To The Next Level

The name on the side of his truck is “Comfortable Living Specialists” which I guess is a decent but very boring name.  It doesn’t match the funny image on the side of the truck.

As a consequence people will remember the funny picture but not the name of the company “Comfortable Living Specialists” or the company’s phone number.

Imagine if the plumber had a website with a really good name.  The name that was easy to associate with the image that many people will not forget.  Something like PlumberOnAToilet.com (I know it’s not a fantastic name but it was the best I could come up with right now.)

If the plumber linked the funny image to some form of contact I bet his business would soar!

This is a great example of marketing in a subway tunnel for a funeral service.

It’s a little morbid but it’s simple, gets your attention, memorable, and is something people will talk about (like I am talking about it here on my blog).

Here’s a funny cartoon I came across detailing project management.