Berbay markets in complex ways (search engine optimization, pay-per-click, social Media) for clients in complex professions (lawyers, accountants, real estate brokers), so it’s nice to be reminded from time to time of the simple yet effective marketing techniques.
I got such a reminder recently while walking my dogs, a door hanger advertising the services of The Swiss Handyman caught my eye. This basic advertising medium, selling this humble service, has a couple things to teach even the most sophisticated marketer.
The first thing I noticed was the door hanger’s paper stock—a hard, glossy material (possibly even plastic). Not only do you not typically see door hangers of this stock, you don’t even typically see stock of this quality used for marketing materials from professional services firms. Using high-quality stock in business cards, brochures and other print collateral is something I propound to my clients: It says, “I believe in myself enough to invest in this material,” and helps persuade potential customers to have the same faith.
More practically, high-quality stock is durable. The reverse side of the Swiss Handyman’s door hanger offers an extensive list of jobs he can do. The door hanger’s durability means even if someone didn’t need any of those things done now, they could put the ad away in a drawer and when they needed it later, it wouldn’t be crumpled or torn.
The other thing I liked about this ad is that it leads the viewer to attribute qualities people associate with Switzerland (promptness, precision, reliability) to this handyman. First, of course, he calls himself The Swiss Handyman (and the door hanger assures the viewer, “He really is from Switzerland!”). The door hanger also features an image of the red-and-white Swiss flag, and a corresponding red-and-white color theme is used throughout the ad. Finally, the door hanger consciously utilizes the abovementioned characteristic Swiss qualities as descriptors for the handyman.
Looking at the ad, I’m reminded of the holiday season while I was in college that I worked as a gift wrapper at Tiffany’s in Beverly Hills. We were told that if a piece of crystal, glassware or china had a “Made in Switzerland” sticker on it, we should leave it on to suggest positive associations, whereas if anything was made in China (and a lot of stuff was) the tag should come off. The Swiss Handyman is employing this same smart selling tactic—and any marketer would do well to take a page from his book.
