Corner Florist Goes Regional… With Ad Makeover

Samuel Laniado didn't know what a copywriter was. But he sure knows his flowers. He runs my corner flower shop and laughs every time when I say "Gracias!"

Samuel knew I had something to do with advertising. So while I was choosing some roses one Friday, he showed me an ad he was going to run in the community phone directory. (Click on the picture to see the original ad full size.)

My roses almost wilted. I've written before about one of my pet peeves:

How many "pennysavers" and community bulletins do you get? Ever read them? I don't just mean look for the coupons you want. I mean actually read the ads?

Know why you don't? Most of the ads don't offer you any benefit. So you're not motivated to read past the headline. In fact, too many of the ads I see don't even have a headline! Just the name of the store in big letters.

But the worst of it is

You know what's really sad? Most of the mom & pop shop owners who run those little ads are the very people who can least afford to throw out money on impotent advertising.

I took Samuel's ad and rewrote it. (Click on the second picture to read the difference.)

How did it do? Well, unfortunately, Samuel doesn't do database marketing. So he doesn't have precise numbers. But last week he told me that the ad made his holiday season! Since the new ad started running, he's been getting calls from towns outside the area… including upstate (where they publish a local phone directory, but with the same ads).

De nada, Samuel.