Sometimes it’s easy to forget that you own a business, or are advertising it all the time; even when you’re not at work. Especially in an industry that requires so much customer oriented attitude, you should be very mindful of the perception you are putting forth.

I’m going to tell a tale of 2 companies. Both are marketing themselves in a very usual manner, using their vehicles to promote their company, providing constant exposure of their name or brand while in transit. This is a very common display, but carries with it another level of attention. In the span of 24 hours, both of the drivers in these cases made a mistake though.

Case 1 — The Real Estate Agent
On the way home last night, I found myself driving next to an SUV owned by an independent real estate agent. The truck was nice, clean, and the vinyl advertising looked professionally done. But the, I look at the license plate. It read «2WILD4U.» I thought, «gee, if I were buying a house, I wouldn’t want someone «wild» to be in control.» This is a very daunting process to a lot of people, and most would want someone to help them along in a professional manner. I wouldn’t want a «wild» person handling the such a serious task.

Case 2 — The Car Dealer
On my way to work this morning, I was cutoff by a nice Mercedes. Now, I’m a somewhat passive person, and getting cutoff during the drive in the morning is really nothing new. I’m sure I’ve cut someone off in my driving history, and pointing fingers now would be a little hypocritical. The problem here was the advertisement on this vehicle. It was for a very known and major Mercedes dealership. Normally I would just write it off as one of the salesmen or a rental, but again, the plate came into play. It was a vanity plate with the name of one of the major holders of this company. Now this is a bit more of a serious matter, as this family is well known. Their commercials play constantly on almost every radio station. And again, I found myself questioning if I would buy a car from someone so inconsiderate.

In the scheme of things, both of these cases aren’t what one would consider a big deal. However, I imagine that if both of these people were to realize that they were indeed advertising, they would likely reconsider their license plate and driving habits respectively.

So remember, when your name is on something, especially when you aren’t directly involved in its delivery, consider all aspects of any impressions that may be given off. You don’t want to lose a client before you get the chance to attain them.

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