This just cracks me up.
Sherwin-Williams has used the same logo of a blue globe actively being covered by red paint and the slogan “Cover the Earth” for over 40 years. This might be a good slogan for money-hungry executives to chant at a sales meeting, but it does not speak to any particular consumer. For many people today, it is a disgusting and offensive idea. Although the logo may have been catchy in the baby boomer era, conservation awareness and societal values have shifted enough that the logo has gone past the point of not communicating effectively—instead, it is communicating a totally different message very effectively.
Speaking of communication, Sherwin-Williams isn’t the only one who could use some coaching. This one is not so funny:
When Chrysler lost a court case involving their collapsing seats resulting in child deaths, they publicly replied that their “seats performed as designed” and they met government standards. That is not a message that sits well with an audience of consumers who transport their children. Were they designed to collapse and kill children?
I mean really.
We were in the market for a van a while ago, and Chrysler was the only company my wife and I marked off our list. At the very least, a stronger message would give more consideration to the audience in an attempt not to alienate us. For example, what if Chrysler representatives said, “The people of Chrysler grieve for the loss of these children. We have invested a great deal of money and time in research and development of safe vehicles because we care about the families who use them. Even though we have surpassed government standards, we are dedicated to improving these vehicles further so that this will not happen again.”
I could live with that. Probably. (And since when does "meets government standards" act as a reasonable defense?)
Sherwin-Williams has used the same logo of a blue globe actively being covered by red paint and the slogan “Cover the Earth” for over 40 years. This might be a good slogan for money-hungry executives to chant at a sales meeting, but it does not speak to any particular consumer. For many people today, it is a disgusting and offensive idea. Although the logo may have been catchy in the baby boomer era, conservation awareness and societal values have shifted enough that the logo has gone past the point of not communicating effectively—instead, it is communicating a totally different message very effectively.
Speaking of communication, Sherwin-Williams isn’t the only one who could use some coaching. This one is not so funny:
When Chrysler lost a court case involving their collapsing seats resulting in child deaths, they publicly replied that their “seats performed as designed” and they met government standards. That is not a message that sits well with an audience of consumers who transport their children. Were they designed to collapse and kill children?
I mean really.
We were in the market for a van a while ago, and Chrysler was the only company my wife and I marked off our list. At the very least, a stronger message would give more consideration to the audience in an attempt not to alienate us. For example, what if Chrysler representatives said, “The people of Chrysler grieve for the loss of these children. We have invested a great deal of money and time in research and development of safe vehicles because we care about the families who use them. Even though we have surpassed government standards, we are dedicated to improving these vehicles further so that this will not happen again.”
I could live with that. Probably. (And since when does "meets government standards" act as a reasonable defense?)
2 comments:
I applaud the Sherwin Williams logo commentary. Every time I see it I get angry. I just sent them an email about it, then went searching for other public opinions. I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in this.
Chrysler needs a lesson in humanity. And, I hope this lesson comes at a monetary cost for them, since that is apparently all that matters to Chrysler. I've marked them off my list too!!
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