Brand overload

I was at a chain restaurant last weekend and my children started to complain about the amount of self promotion on the walls. Although I've spent the majority of my life studying and working in advertising, I never really looked at the shameless use of branding inside the four walls of a business. At this one establishment, we counted no less than 30 uses of the logo and the name inside the business. We knew where we were. We didn't need to be reminded.

I felt like Shrek when he went to find Lord Farquaad, referring to the big gigantic castle, "Do you think he's compensating for something"?

When a business has this amount of shameless logos and advertising within their four walls, I wonder if their marketing department consists of a bunch of yes-man muppets or if they are trying to cover up the fact that they aren't that good.

For some reason, everyone seems to think that the more a logo is seen, the more exposure a brand gets and the bigger the opportunity for a sale. I would agree that if you're a coffee house, your take out cups should be logo-ed. There's nothing wrong with promoting your company in the hands of your customers, especially once they leave your establishment.

When I'm inside your coffee house, you don't need to show me your logo thirty times. I know where I am. I drove there. Keep it clean and keep it about the experience. I wanna enjoy my time there. I don't want to feel like there are commercials in the middle of my life. I've just got rid of them on TV...

If you want people to buy your products more often. Here's the simplest advice you'll ever get. Don't suck! Marketing, shameless or tasteful just speeds up the inevitable.



Signs, Signs, Everywhere, there's signs. 
Blocking out the scenery. Breaking my mind.
Do this. 
Don't do that. 
Can't you read the signs?
 - 5 Man Electrical Band