Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Some figures suggest that on a daily basis we are exposed to thousands of marketing efforts in various mediums. No wonder it sometimes feels inescapable. Funny, touching, irritating, blatant or subtle, marketing teams target campaigns at every man, woman and child. Incidentally, it looks like we might even have to add dogs to that list. One has to wonder what ever became of this campaign:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/1003/Nestle-launches-TV-ad-aimed-at-dogs.-Will-it-work

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Back in 2011, Nestlé launched an Austrian pet food commercial that contained high-frequency sounds designed to catch the attention of dogs. Given the absence of commercials of this genre in the current television line up, one would assume the commercial missed its mark. Unless we find a way for our faithful friends to take over the household shopping (or at least the dog food shopping), it’s safe to further assume, that we’re unlikely to see this ad join the mainstream roster.

The memory of some commercials stay with us long after their shelf life is over. Some because they hit their mark exactly and do it well, often with clever humour. I think Chevrolet’s marketing team was aiming for that mark with their ad for their ‘stylishly modern, fuel-efficient’ compact car, the Cruze. The spot opens inside a gas station. A customer walks in and the theme song from the 80’s sitcom Cheers starts playing. Everyone in the gas station cries out in happy unison, “Stan!” Stan is greeted with smiles and greetings all around. “Hi Stan!” ‘Stan the man!”

You can watch the Chevy Cruz ad here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0XwG9zweOM

The memory of some commercials stay with us long after their shelf life is over. Some because they hit their mark exactly and do it well, often with clever humour. I think Chevrolet’s marketing team was aiming for that mark with their ad for their ‘stylishly modern, fuel-efficient’ compact car, the Cruze. The spot opens inside a gas station. A customer walks in and the theme song from the 80’s sitcom Cheers starts playing. Everyone in the gas station cries out in happy unison, “Stan!” Stan is greeted with smiles and greetings all around. “Hi Stan!” ‘Stan the man!”

And yet, in that moment, when that new customer walked through the door, I felt myself yanked abruptly from a mini-mental reverie to a feeling of… loneliness. Some commercials stick with us. Some because they were designed to do just that, and did their job well. Others stay with us because they hit on something that moves us personally.

Chevy’s commercial struck a chord with me. Whether we realize it or not, or even if we don’t want to admit it, human connection is a fundamental need. As the scientific and medically communities catch up with what philosophers have long known, a significant contributor of the stress, chronic illness and depression we see in society today is the result of insufficient human connection. We simply can’t live well without it. It is often said that modern technology is allowing us to be more connected than ever. Personally, I think a lot of the time, online connections only serve to widen the gap in the connections that really matter; the ones that actually fulfill us – in person, face to face.

As I was on the home stretch of my little mental excursion, my thoughts turned to Renforth (as they often do). I realized just then how sincerely I hope that all of our clients (and their pets) feel like Stan when they walk through our doors. How I hope that coming in to the clinic gives them a sense of belonging and a place that they always feel welcome. In the first few years after I graduated as a veterinary technician, I was very keen to do the technical work I had been trained to do, and I loved it. Over the past few years however, my passion has shifted. These days, there is no where I would rather be than in our front office, greeting clients and patients, getting to know all of you a little better every time you visit. You are always welcome.

Danya Terp

Danya is a veterinary technician and clinic administrator at the Renforth Veterinary Clinic. Writing has been one of Danya’s life long passions. She is the author of the clinic’s website content and is working towards certification as a veterinary journalist.