Comments on: Talking About The Nice

By: Chris Anthony | Lost in Translation

Chris Anthony | Lost in Translation — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:58:37 +0000

I’m amazed that my favorite (and, sadly, apocryphal) marketing story hasn’t made an appearance here: the tale of a competition between tuna canneries. One cannery started having trouble getting the pink tuna they usually sold, and were only getting shipments of white tuna. Their solution? Market the white tuna with the slogan “Won’t turn pink in the can!”

Naturally, the other cannery fought back: “Our tuna: never bleached!”

Naomi, thank you for this reminder to think about what we’re bringing into our lives – the Nice and the Not Nice.

By: Gina

Gina — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:05:13 +0000

I’m amazed at what can be put on a label. You have to become such a detective as a consumer. Another area is skin care – what amazing things those clever marketers have done in this arena as well.

Great post.
Thanks.

By: Dick Carlson

Dick Carlson — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:50:32 +0000

Shirt! Shirt! Shirt!

“Many people I know consider eating a banana to be a very Republican act.” Miss Naomi

(Unfortunately, the image that comes to mind could not be posted here on this type of family-friendly blog.)

By: JoVE

JoVE — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:13:32 +0000

As with so many things you can talk about the nice in a really sleazy way (making people think things are healthy that really aren’t) or in a really morally upstanding way. Your choice.

The point remains. Talk about the nice. Don’t apologize for the other stuff.

By: Ari Lestariono

Ari Lestariono — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 13:09:46 +0000

It is nice to have nice things to say yet difficult to seek the truth to find answer.Great articles.

By: The Dangers of Transformation | Precision Change

The Dangers of Transformation | Precision Change — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 04:40:47 +0000

[...] a rule, when marketing something, it’s best to speak of what’s good about the product and gloss over any bad sides as long as you aren’t obligated by law to talk about them (if [...]

By: Admit You Are Good | Information Sells

Admit You Are Good | Information Sells — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 04:32:57 +0000

[...] Naomi Dunford has a post on IttyBiz today called Talking About The Nice. [...]

By: some other Naomi

some other Naomi — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 04:29:05 +0000

Reminds me of a pasta box I saw the other day that said it was “good carbs”. How can something made with flour, water, and salt be a “good” carb?

And milk has different varieties of less fat because they add water to it. It’s still the same milk, just with water added.

And grain fed animals, what the heck? Why is feeding animals grains a good thing? What do chickens eat naturally? Not grains. Cows don’t eat grains either.

I get accentuating the good, but I hate when they try to fool people making them think things are healthy that aren’t.

Ok, I’ll stop. Touched a nerve. I’m going to relax now, hee hee.

By: Naomi Dunford

Naomi Dunford — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:11:53 +0000

@ Duff — Of course. But sometimes really positive things have negative aspects.

Add to that the subjectivity of Nice vs. Not Nice and we’ve got a communications nightmare on our hands.

It’s like… bananas. Most would say bananas are on Nice. Yummy vitamins. Kids will eat them. Go well with ice cream.

But paying 69 cents a pound for something shipped in from Costa Rica makes me seriously wonder about how much the farmer got paid, not to mention the environmental impact of flying them across the world. Many people I know consider eating a banana to be a very Republican act. They would call the banana Not Nice.

My mother, on the other hand, wonders why people feed their children anything other than bananas, as they are pretty much the ultimate food in her opinion. The prototype of Nice.

So the banana makers talk about the potassium and how great their product tastes with peanut butter and they call it a day.

By: Michelle - Word Ninja

Michelle - Word Ninja — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:58:24 +0000

“I personally could not live with myself if my job was to market dangerous or unhealthy products while talking up their positive features.”

I can understand that to a point. Personally, I probably couldn’t work for a cigarette company. But I could totally live with myself if I was marketing something like, say, Chick-Fil-A. Is it healthy? Not as healthy as fruits and veggies, for sure. But it is the most delicious fast food that you will EVER have in your life.

Unless, of course, you don’t like chicken.