Our society does find self-deprecating humor
endearing, we enjoy when others
reveal their life failures, especially if it’s relatable to our own. It might
even be good for us to laugh at ourselves once in a while! Yet, can making fun
of your Business have benefits?
We’re thinking that to a limited extent, it can. Sure, you don’t
normally want to make fun of your employees, product or services. But then
again, you just might want to!
Try this one out, for a restaurant: “We have the slowest service
in town!” WITH THE TAG LINE: “That’s because we make each order individually
with loving care!” This is a fun way to explain to your customers that you care
about the food you serve and teaches them that excellent food takes time.
Course, it could also be used to cover-up your poor service management! LOL
Or
How about this one for a Rock Band: “Don’t come out to hear us
tonight!” WITH THE TAG LINE: “Cuz we turn the volume up way to LOUD!” This
might really discourage some attendees, but will energies others. Most likely,
those “energetic” ones, knowing what to expect, are the ones that will make a
special effort to come out, enjoy your show, and give you the best reviews!
Now, what would it be like if a City used self-deprecating humor
about itself? Let’s say a City like the one I live in, Flint, Michigan. Most
all of you have heard of my city of Flint; “Murder capital of the country.”
“But, we are hoping to get the world ranking soon!” “The most dangerous city in
the country, flax vest await you at our border!”” When we say, built Flint
Tough, we’re not talking about the cars!” “All our sports teams are named the
“Flames,” cause they really are on FIRE!” “Come to Flint, if you’re looking for
a job! Everyone else is too!”
Okay, okay, I could go on and on, and although this kind of
humor does point a negative spotlight on my city, could it also be used to
promote the City?
Could negative promotion create positive results? This might be
a dangerous idea in promoting a city, especial, one that has been working so
hard to destroy its own negative self-image.
Let’s think about it. Could promoting our bad boy image to the
country be used as cover while we actually improve our city?! Could someday, the very people that laughed at
our city actually begin to see that it is becoming a safe, honorable place to
live?
Could exploiting our negative image allow us to laugh all the
way to the bank? Could marketing our City’s “toughness”, be made profitable?
Sad to say, I believe it could. Sad, because our country thrives on the “bad
boy” image, the western “shot’em up” mentality, gansta want-ta-be’s, and we
could use that craze to make a profit!
I already regret writing this! Some of you will believe I’ve hit
on a brilliant idea and actually go about implementing it. This is not what I
want my City’s image to be. Not even for a PROFIT! NOT even if it cured our
un-employment, not even if it put public services back on our streets.
Sometime the right way of doing things is the toughest way. “WE
ARE FLINT, AND WE ARE DANGEROUS!”
Check out some positively dangerous Flint
sites!
Facebook:
“Positively Flint” “Bring Two to Flint” “Flint
Home Buying”
Websites:
“Carriage Town Media” “Damascus Road Church,
Flint”
Blogs:
“Funny Business” “The Way You Should Live”
Flint Photos:
“Fine Art American/Positively Flint Gallery”
Marketplace on Facebook
“Positively Michigan”
Learn more marketing ideas from:
ctmediaflint@gmail.com
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