Free Ads for Small Businesses During COVID-19
Amidst this pandemic many people got the opportunity to help out and do what they need for their community. A lot of us got to connect with our communities in new ways. In Boston small businesses have lost a significant amount of foot traffic.
“There’s people DoorDashing and post-mating half the stuff they usually buy” – owner of Symphony Mart on Boylston St. in Fenway.
Convenience stores are losing foot traffic at the rates they’ve never seen.
“Who’s buying diamonds during the pandemic? Not a lot of people” – owner of Boston jewels, Maury and his wife (have been operating over 20 years).
This is another brick and mortar store that was advertised by this small marketing agency in Downtown Boston.
When I was reaching out to the founder of Oakland Trust Marketing Company, I told him I was an aspiring journalist interested in their methods. He responded to me with a phrase that I may not be allowed to re write on here. I explained to him that I’m not here to complain about anything, just to learn. Finally he agreed to give a statement although he asked not to be named, he wanted the world to take away one thing;
“Connecting customers with quality products is all I know how to do, I was doing it before the pandemic and We’re doing it even more now. This is the time when people need you to shop, we spent our money like crazy before the pandemic and now all of a sudden we know how to budget. Buy your candy bar you deserve it! Have been looking for a sign from god to pull the trigger on a Beautiful argument solving necklace for your significant other, now you have it.” – Founder of Oakland Trust Marketing Company.
I get the sense that maybe he was trying a bit too hard on the sell there in our conversation, but at the same time I sort of appreciate the effort just because I know that’s what this young kid is doing while running around Boston promoting these stores. He’s always on the sell and always making sure you know where to go. I wouldn’t want to have a long nice relaxing dinner with the guy but I’d definitely want him pushing whatever I think of in the future. If I was going to make a start up I’d definitely consider their designs and slogans. After looking into them I was fascinated by the way they incorporated actual features unique to these stores within the ad. The ads didn’t look tacky, they were tacky don’t get me wrong, because they are ads and almost all ads are tacky when you know they are trying to sell. This was a different style of tacky, I hadn’t seen it before. I didn’t know how to rate it, how to judge it, I didn’t even know what to say about it, but here I am 73 hours later writing about it.