Fun Idea Halted. #SomeoneNotHappy

An interesting thing happened this week.  While we’re all systems go on the real estate front, a cold wet blanket was thrown on what was meant as a positive gesture.

Here’s the scene:  Last year our girl was ‘in the 3’s’ at her Day School.  Well, all the three year olds receive a blue mesh bag to tow homework/art to and from school/home.  The bags had a “Wal-Mart” logo on them.  You know what’s next…

Months ago I approached the school and asked who pays for the Wal-Mart bags “in the 3’s.”   After learning that the teachers went out and got the bags, I asked if it would be nice for a parent/local yokel to provide the bags.  The answer is obvious with the caveat that the local business didn’t expect anything back (business) from it.  No sweat.

After some time went by Amy and I picked a color and a script for the bags.  Fast forward to the beginning of this school year and all the three year olds had their new toters.  As you can see from the pic above, there’s no phone number, no URL, no ‘call to action,’ no “We List/Sell Downtown,” no picture (haha), and no slogan at all.  This was aaaall by design.   It’s just a simple and clean logo pop with a “…Proudly Supports…”  You can’t see it from the pic, but we only printed on one side, which was also by design.

This week the bags will be switched out with new plain ones.  Turns out someone complained touting, “We weren’t given the opportunity.”  Translation in my mind, “I didn’t think of it, and I’m pretty pouty pout that he did.”   What’s important here is that the school didn’t come to us.  I approached them.  As a matter of fact, I was told that no one has ever asked that question.

Turns out all that work (design, quick delivery by Nancy Kohn @ Spectra Integration, delivery to the school/classrooms, expense, etc) is out the window.  What they don’t know is that the first batch bled on each other a little bit, which means Spectra reproduced the whole run for us.

Here’s the good part.  I’ll soon have 200 bags I can distribute how I want.  The drama gave me a blog subject post (which I’m always looking for), and all my FBook/LinkedIn friends (those that aren’t already chattering about it) will know we tried to do something nice while someone else decided to be a buzz kill.  Before tonight, neither Amanda nor I posted the product on Facebook. Shoot, anyone who clicks my ad on MidlandsBiz will read about it tomorrow.  #NiceTiming.

Here’s the thing.  I saw an opportunity and asked for permission to implement a clever idea.  It was a Win/Win/Win for all involved.   As it stands now, the school itself (or the teachers) have to come out of pocket to buy new bags.

Now, friends and readers of this blog know all too well that I’m not going to let that happen.  Since the complainer is likely not going to pony up for the school’s new unnecessary expense, I’m going to buy the plain bags for them.

Thank you!

Franklin

PS: Out of nowhere tonight my now four year old asked me (quoting Bubble Guppies, I think it is), “Daddy, does someone need a wahmbulance?” My reply, “I mean, yeah babe, I think they might.” Actually, I think it’s “clambulance,” but I’m going with my first thought. haha