If Poop 911 Can Do It, So Can You

Driving through the Twin Cities the other day, we passed by a ton of traffic. Most of it was forgettable and mundane. However, the one moment that stuck out and created something memorable was passing by the Poop 911 vehicle wrap with its cartoon caricature of a dog sitting on a toilet reading the newspaper. Rolling down the freeway, their tagline was simple and straightforward, “We scoop dog poop.” The presentation was fun, polished, and professional. Considering the service they provide, it was even more impressive.

Here are three things we can all learn from Poop 911…

  1. Solve simple problems. If you’re looking to get into business but don’t know where to start, look for the simple challenges we’re all facing and try to solve them. The movie Robots with Robin Williams has this simple piece of advice, “See a need, fill a need.” Yes, there’s so much more to developing a strong product or service than just that, but seeing a need is where it all begins. Poop 911 saw a need in all of our backyards… one that we all dreaded tackling, and they came up with a simple solution to our simple problem. There’s nothing complicated or complex about it.
  2. Tell us what you do – and do it quickly. “We scoop dog poop.” It doesn’t get much more straightforward than that. Yes, they could have come up with something more clever, but the reality is that when we see that tagline, we immediately understand who they are, what they do, and how they can help us. It took them four words to tell their story. Often, we want to say more and be creative in our delivery. The reality is that sometimes, less is more. Cut to the chase and be direct.
  3. Brand your idea well. Poop 911, using their creative vehicle wraps and the dog sitting on the toilet, took something forgettable and made it memorable enough that we’re talking about it right here, right now. Yes, they “just” pick up poop. It would have been easy to use a simple logo and a magnet on the side of a car. Instead, they turned their idea into a brand by investing in its presence and how it is showing up on the road and in your driveway. Because they paid attention to the details, this rolling billboard now has immense value and is building brand equity.

There are no more excuses. If Poop 911 can excel at branding themselves, so can you.

Call-to-Action
Poop 911 is doing so many simple things right – things that we can all learn from and implement in our own businesses and organizations. Seek to solve problems for your customers. Tell us what you do quickly and simply. Brand yourself like it matters – because it does.

We’ve been preaching these things here at OrangeBall for the last decade, and we’re here to have conversations about what this looks like anytime you have a need. If Poop 911 can do this well, everybody can, and we’d love to help!

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