Ever wonder how paint manufacturers communicated with customers in the past?
You know, the old days of slow cars, rotary phones and typewriters…
They sent postcards. A far cry from today’s high paced cloud based tricks.
Anyone get the historical humor?
It turns out that my wife’s grandfather was a Sherwin Williams paint sales rep in Billings, Montana in the 1940’s, and my father in law unearthed this little historical treasure for us. It is 3 1/4″x 5 1/2″ with a $.01 stamp and a type written note on the back. It is postmarked April 1943.
This must have been a successful strategy back in the day, given that Sherwin Williams is now a Fortune 500 powerhouse with 3500 stores in the US.
I think this would be a great retro differentiation strategy in today’s world for paint contractors and manufacturers alike. Might have to give it a try.
It is also a good reminder of the basic value of personalized communication and service. Skip the flashy mass produced mailings and get back to basics.
Anyone else have any old pieces of paint history to share?
Post up some pics in the comment section below!
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