Warning Sign, Haute Pink Cakes, San Diego, CA, July 2010
The text of the sign:
IMPORTANT POLICIES!
*If cupcakes are dropped by customers it is our policy to refrost them, and place them in a new box for $1/box. That’s the cost of the box – this could take probably 15 minutes depending on how busy we are)
We do not offer new cupcakes. If you wish to purchase new cupcakes you may receive 10% off the total, but only for that visit, same order.
*Offers cannot be combined. One coupon or offer per customer per day. Military discount not to be combined with Buy One-Get One Free coupons. Coupons will not be taken for day olds.
*We do not take American Express. Also, no credit cards will be accepted for amounts under $7.00.
One has to wonder about the frequency and severity of the exceptions that led this small bakery to break from their pink/fluffy/hip/indulgent vibe with this pre-emptively admonishing lists of warnings and do-nots. The owners have failed to internalize the brand experience they are trying to create with their flagship product.
Tags: brand, cupcake, eula, experience, sign, store, tone, voice, warning
I didn’t realize cupcake dropping was such a calamity. My initial vision was my cupcake rolling from a plate as I walked from the counter, seeing it hit the floor, and someone picking it up to re-frost it for me — yuck!I can’t tell if the notice is in the window or behind a glass case, though I would likely not enter thinking I could be eating a cupcake from the floor.
The copy is horrible, filled with “We do not” and should be accompanied by “… like customers” and creates an impersonal feel of handling issues. Whoever wrote this needs a stress test. And, there is copy that belongs on a coupon in the sign.
Resolving the sign & identifying all of the copy issues would make a great student exercise. — It’s quite funny.
Comment by Jennifer Quigley 09.22.10 @ 9:56 amJennifer – yeah, yuck is right. It’s in the window of the store. I like the student exercise and would want it to include understanding – and even advising – the business owners on the idea of brand and experience, and to uncover what disconnects led to such an outburst!
Comment by Steve Portigal 09.22.10 @ 10:43 am[...] Also see: Vodafone celebrates construction around their retail outlets here and a far less celebratory sign from the same store here. [...]
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