Recently at a big box pet store I observed very prominent placement of a display for doggie-wear. “Dogs Need Clothes Too!” proudly proclaimed the signage that swooped across a quite impressive wall of canine couture. Shirts, skirts, scarves and adornments dominated the aisle.
How would a reasonable person – say, one who might be the owner of a pampered pooch—respond to the statement, “Dogs Need Clothes, Too?” A: You bet they do! Hand me that chemise! B: What dogs need clothes? C: They most certainly do NOT and where are the flea collars? D: What about cats? Don’t cats need clothes?
The point is that the statement can be construed as bordering on absurdity. No, a reasonable person would not likely argue that dogs need clothes, and would most likely notice that your display claims they do. So, it got their attention, what’s wrong with that? A couple things are wrong with the grab-their-attention-with-the-ridiculous tactic. First, it’s insulting. They know what you are trying to do. They know that every POP display or piece of signage in that store is driving a sale. It’s also wasting their shopping time. How about a bit of useful, convincing information about doggie clothing? Dogs need food, water, shelter and love. Turn those facts into statements such as “Protects their skin in harsh weather!” or “Doggie Clothes = Security in a Shirt.” Why make your clients struggle with a baseless fact that distracts from the purpose of the display in the first place?
Cats, for the record, do not have nearly the attire selection that dogs do. As any cat person will tell you, cats are unanimously opposed to being treated like dogs.
Poated on http://www.dolindisplay.com/blog/
