That tag line is in the spirit of Steal This Book, the 1970’s tome written by counterculture guru Abbie Hoffman. Mr. Hoffman is reported to have responded to the success of the book by saying, “It’s embarrassing when you try to overthrow the government and you wind up on the best-seller’s list.”
The mention of thievery lends a forbidden fruit appeal to retailing. This, in turn, draws attention in an overcrowded marketplace. Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet and playwright who could be considered a rascal, even if based solely on his surname, wrote, “There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
A part of all of us enjoys dealing with a bit of a rascal. This is because there’s a part of all of us which is at least a bit of a rascal. Especially in individualistic cultures like the U.S., consumers are fascinated with famous rascals. When the retail store personality you aim for includes “exciting” and your target markets include people from individualistic cultures, you might decide to have your store project an image of testing the limits.
We do want to set and enforce the limits, however. Video ads for the InkJoy end with the woman who’s ready to walk away with the pen being surprised by a voice saying, “Don’t. It’s a trap.” We all then see that the voice is from a man holding an InkJoy. He’s trapped in a net hanging from the ceiling.
Most consumers are ready to be reminded of the consequences of crime, even though fascinated by rascal behavior. At the auction of belongings seized from convicted swindler Bernie Madoff, a pair of earrings for which the maximum expected bid was $9,800 actually sold for $70,000. Still, one of the items did not get a supersized bid—a famous Rolex watch known over the years by the nickname “The Prisoner Watch.”
Click below for more:
Consider Publicizing Your Rascal Image
Handle Employee Dishonesty Consistently
Cultivate Controversy Carefully
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