Recently I was watching network TV. I rarely do that, and maybe that’s why it was so surprising to me when the old familiar Menards commercial came on. The Menards commercial has pretty much been the same since I was a child. I remember a brief period when the “Menards Guy” retired and they went to a cartoon version, but that didn’t stick. So, nothing about the commercial should have been a surprise.
But something about this modern-day Menards commercial really struck me. It’s square! My television is not square. Is yours? Even my grandma is watching Menards commercials on a rectangular flat-screen television.
Don’t get me wrong, I had just saved big money at Menards, that very day even, but when I saw that commercial, it struck me as old, outdated, irrelevant, someplace I don’t want to shop. I don’t even know what was on sale because I was so distracted by the shape of the commercial.
I’m willing to give Menards the benefit of the doubt that they did their market research and decided that their customer base was most likely viewing it from a television modeled after the 1950 standard. I hope that’s what it was and not just laziness on their part and a resistance to the way things are now.
When it comes to your company’s marketing, I urge you, don’t be a square. Embrace the new technology and connect with your potential customers on their platforms. Afraid of social media? Get over it. Don’t understand mobile? Figure it out.
People shouldn’t be distracted thinking about your marketing strategy when you’re trying to sell your products or services. Don’t waste your time or your marketing budget on yesterday’s way of doing things. Trust me, people will notice
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