Marketing your feline painting company presents some challenges that bipeds do not face. First, most companies that sell advertising will not take you seriously. They will assume that you don't have any money, just because you are a cat. Show them your bank statement-- that should convince them otherwise.
One of the cardinal rules of advertising is to differentiate your company. You'd think that it would be easy for a cat contractor to do this. But given that pictures of cute little kittens and fuzzy little puppy dogs have been used by humans for years. Consequently, using them in your ads won't differentiate your company. You will look just like all the vets, dog groomers, and other businesses that exploit us.
We tried using pictures of human babies, but that didn't work well. Apparently babies don't inspire people to buy cheap paint jobs. We tried all kinds of headlines, like "A Cheap Paint Job is Like Cheap Wine-- You'll be Sick the Next Day" and "Don't Trust Your Home to Bipeds".
In the end, we found that word of mouth is the best advertising. Once we did a few jobs, our customers had to tell everyone about us. Business exploded like an old lady after eating a pot of beans.
We have used one promotion that has been successful. Our free Fisherman's Surprise give away more than doubled our business. So I'd suggest giving away something for free. After all, anyone who would go for the cheapest paint job they can find will likely want a few cans of free seafood as well.
Captain Otto
© BEP Enterprises Incorporated 2008
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