and he notes - The first rule in advertising is never assume the reader knows what you're selling. Recent subscribers or someone new to the hobby might not know that they are compatible but a picture is worth a thousand words. It may also confuse an AF buyer if the ad showed the scale version, even though it said that it came with AF compatible trucks and couplers. And it might also confuse the scale buyer who thinks he's getting a RTR scale boxcar and it arrives with AF stuff he has to change to scale.
I get the feeling that people don't read ads, they just look at the pictures and WYSIWYG. I sell DVDs on eBay. The images are computer generated which may look like the case for a VHS video, but text accompanying the images clearly states that it is a DVD as many as five times. But at least once or twice a week I get a question from a member asking if it is a DVD! I don't think it's a fact that they can't read, but rather that they don't read. Raleigh in Maine in the rain... (No, "Ike" ain't here yet!) At 10:02 AM 9/14/2008, John Degnan wrote: >Bill, > >Everyone in S scale already knows all too well that models from SHS >and DP (and AM, too) come AF compatible, so why do they feel like >they have to keep reminding everyone about this in every ad? Do they >think that AF fans are stupid and can't remember this fact? > >The point we progressive types are "trying" to make is that it is >the SCALE side of S that is NOT at all established (as opposed to >the AF side which is a well established) that needs to be >publicised! That is what the rest of the modeling world needs to >know, Bill... the UNestablished facts... not the >already-well-established facts! Do you honestly think that an AF fan >would not buy a SHS model if it were advertised with code 110 wheels >and SHS #01295 couplers because they thought that meant is wasn't AF >compatible?!? If so... you ain't giving them much credit for >intelligence, are you? > >Besides... an equally effective advertising approach that should >work just fine would be to simply put "AF Compatible wheelsets and >couplers included" in TEXT across the bottom of the photo or >somewhere in the ad's text. This would work just fine... unless, of >course, AF folks can't read, either!? > >"Get over it?" No, more like "GET WITH IT." > >GOTTA LOVE IT! > >John Degnan ><mailto:Scaler164%40comcast.net>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Bill Lane" <<mailto:bill%40lanestrains.com>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "S Scale List" <<mailto:S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected]> >Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 7:08 AM >Subject: {S-Scale List} Big Coupler photo - GET OVER IT > > > Why does Des Plaines and SHS offer their cars set up for High > Rail right out > > of the box? Because that is how the vast majority of their BUYING customers > > want them. It is a BUSINESS decision. They are in business to > allegedly make > > a profit. > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
