[brencarpetman]

Hi all,

Just a quick question. Im having a little trouble about a phrase I have on my website. It says as most of them does "The most thorough cleaning ever or its free".

I would like to know firstly if anybody knows where this phrase came from and to the best of my knoledge I did'nt think you could have a copyright on a slogan.

Also I did a search on google with that particular phrase and got a return of 5,300.000 hits, so according to me a lotta people in trouble.

Bren

[garry22]

Bren,

As far as I know, the headline was written by Jim Wolverton in the USA. I think (in theory) that only licensed Piranha Marketing members can legaly use it AS A HEADLINE.

If you use it as a headline you are leaving yourself open to action. Not only that, it's pretty poor marketing to steal a headline word for word. The trouble here is that it has been stolen so many times that it may not be cost effective for the copyright holder to chase people. You will have no defence if someone does send a "Cease and desist" letter or claims damages.

As a sentence in body copy it would be harder to deal with.

You can "model" the phrase eg. "The most throrough car service or it's free", would be acceptable. There was a court case recently where the writer of "A dog is for life.. not just for Christmas" took an action for breach of copyright. I cannot remember who modelled that phrase, or what the product / service was but the court ruled that it was not breach of copyright.

Best course of action is find an original, compelling headline.

Garry

[Russell Morgan]

how about "The deepest, most amazing cleaning ever, or il commit suicide"
lol, could work, will definately show commitment (the insane kind)

[brencarpetman]

Ta Gary!

Thanks for the info
Food for thought!

Russell sounds like something Johnathan Ross would say.

Bren

[Russell Morgan]

not at the bbc he wont 

[brencarpetman]

Not until at least January anyway!
Friday nights wont be the same.
You do the crime.....

Bren

[Joe H]

£6 million a year 
 
wish I could opt out of the Licence Fee 

[Russell Morgan]

id rather see adverts than pay 130 odd quid a year, already pay 40 quid odd a month for sky

[Joe H]

Apologies for going off thread - BBC & licence fee get me wound up.

[derek west]

its all free on the net now, so why pay for sky.
football live streaming from iraq, quality.
derek

[Mike Osbourne]

My advice is 'Just Do It'

Everybody borrows from everybody else in marketing. all JP stuff is from someone else, who got it from someone else.

You probably have to go back to the days of Barnham to find anything truly original.

So long as you don't take bodies of copy you will be fine and even then who's going to bother with a little old CC company.

[clinton]

Same here mike

They have made plenty out of there out of date marketing

[Mike Osbourne]

OK I take back what I said.

Rather than just do it because you can, because no one is going to hunt you down and sue you is not a good reason.

Now I like that type of headline cos it's got risk reversal built in, but what could be a USP for you in your locality depends on your competition and what their message is.

Say you have a well known CC in your area who uses that stock FT/JP line, how does that make your company unique?

If no one is using it start using it today but with your own unique twist on it.

[gwrightson]

I can never quite work out why alot of the adverts you see, are basicly the same

you open the y/p and there they are, 

The best clean you will ever see, Guaranteed

the most thourough or its free

we will make your carpets like new

Guaranteed to be the deepest clean you will ever have.


What a load of crap, How the hell can anybody make carpets like new, how can you say it will be the best clean they will ever have etc, etc, etc.

As already stated leaves you wide open, and lets be honest how many porty owners can say they are doing a better job than a t/m    , yet the claims are their.. ( Lets not go down that road agai, I know they are capable )  in the right hands

I guess its alot to do with the marketing that people have purchased

Personaly , I prefer to use in my advertising   " Results you expect from a professional"

Geoff

[Russell Morgan]

I use a portable, perfectly good results, and nearly always get tips and recommended, although do get to a few quotes where a truckmount cleaner has also quoted & basically said a portable is crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good job im a good salesman really or there would be no business for us poor portable owners would there!!!!

[gwrightson]

Russel,

I never said portys were crap, never said they didnt get good results,

I am reffering to the adverts some people put out.

What I did say was "Lets not go down that road again"  Could I make it clearer.

Geoff

[Russell Morgan]

two l's in Russell!

[gwrightson]

Only one in this Rustle

geof

[Russell Morgan]

Very true

[Mike Osbourne]

Geof

I know what you are saying but who are these things aimed at, other carpet cleaners or potential customers?