From an early age, I was taught that when buying anything packed, checking the expiry date is as important as looking at the price tag it carries.In case we purchased expired goods, we were told to return them and demand a refund.Stores always try to avoid this dilemma by putting on sale those goods that are close to expiration at a cheaper price. It is therefore interesting to note that this practice is rarely extended to other operations like their information desks.
From an early age, I was taught that when buying anything packed, checking the expiry date is as important as looking at the price tag it carries. In case we purchased expired goods, we were told to return them and demand a refund.
Stores always try to avoid this dilemma by putting on sale those goods that are close to expiration at a cheaper price. It is therefore interesting to note that this practice is rarely extended to other operations like their information desks.
It is funny how many companies will send out information and then go on to live that information in the public domain long after it has expired.
Like the expired goods that can lead to disease and thus lawsuits from clients, this expired information is nothing but misleading and thus dangerous to the general public in one way or another.
My ever observant eye has caught sight of different pieces of expired information that have been left out for us to judge whether we are reading history or just the mistakes of those concerned.
The most outstanding for me has been the billboard outside the main taxi park at Nyabugogo that advertises the upcoming Salax music awards!
The above mentioned awards took place some time in May and we are now in October. For Pete’s sake can’t someone see the sense in bringing down this billboard?
If the owner of the space has not yet found someone to advertise then at least they should make it blank or put their contacts for those who wish to use this rather prime spot in the city.
I also stop to wonder at what the over five companies listed as sponsors on this billboard think about their brand now being associated with such an expired piece of information. Don’t their respective advertising agencies or PR departments follow up on some of these things?
Another billboard adjacent to the Sonatubes roundabout majestically exhorts those who care to look, not to miss the forthcoming Trade Expo 2011 at Gikondo Expo Grounds. Now we all know that the Expo happened and ended.
So I wonder what the guys at PSF are still trying to tell us months later. I have also seen some belonging to Bralirwa still advertising a football tournament that actually ended.
Is this a sign of low turn up for those who hire out this advertising space? Failing to see new and relevant ads to replace expired ones? But even if this was the case, should the public have to deal with expired notices as the advertising gurus wait for a new deal?
One of the effects of this is that with time the general public may gradually start to ignore other billboards once they learn that in many cases the billboards are not saying anything new or relevant.
This will undoubtedly render advertising with billboards a waste of time.
In this era of information floods via all forms of media, it’s only fair that those in the industry expose us to only relevant information if our attention is to be won over.
Why update your website yet a billboard that is seen by millions who cannot access the internet is still there with outdated information. I definitely think it is much cheaper to have this outdated information pulled down than to do nothing about it.