Maybe Shell Was Right

A couple of weeks ago, I found some old notes about the Gruen Transfer and the impact of first impressions toward brand loyalty. The Shell Oil research seemed counter productive -- why market to people who can't buy your product. Nevertheless, the world wide oil company's findings lead to adding kid toys and other youth attractors.

Fast forward to last night and dinner with my wife and daughter. I casually look up at the TV which is showing the Sharpe 500, and make a passing comment to Ashley that "hey, your race is on." She looked up and it was a flood of memories. Oh, I miss that booth. Wasn't that fun. I wish they still did that. Didn't we miss the last one going to Florida for vacation.

When Ashley was six or seven, the Walmart vendors still put on fairly elaborate shows and booths at our local stores during the Walmart Shareholders meeting. Over the past couple of years, the off-campus booths at the stores have disappeared and the economy really dried up the on-campus ones this year.

Back when the vendors were trying to impress the public as much as the Walmart buyers, Sharpe had a big booth with lots of kid games and plenty of free pens and markers. It made a permanent -- sorry, no pun intended -- impression on my daughter, who still gravitates to the Sharpe display in Office Depot and with last night, remembers the company with warm emotions. By the way, my money is on her eventually purchasing Rubbermaid products over Tupperware or other brands for food storage as an adult for the same reasons.

I will grant that a good personal anecdote will reinforce any research to the individual. I have to say, this one is pretty compelling.