Should You Hide Your Branding at the Request of a Customer?

While this is not a common issue you’ll encounter, it does occasionally happen that customers request PROs hide the branding on their portable restrooms. If you’ve had such a request, you may have wondered what to do about it.

Is the customer always right? Or, should you push back against your client? We’ve done our best to advise on this touchy issue with some tips and examples below:

When Can It Happen?

One of the most high-profile examples of a PRO being barred from displaying their branding was at the inauguration of President Trump in January 2017. As reported by NBC News, Virginia-based PRO Don’s Johns was surprised to discover that someone had taped over the branding on their portable restrooms, removing the chance for them to market themselves at such a lucrative event.

After some head-scratching, it was revealed that federal officials were the culprits, as they enforced a ban on advertising at the Capitol Grounds. So, it does happen. However, in this case, it seems Don’s Johns didn’t have much of a choice in the matter!

The COO of Don’s Johns said they had experienced similar requests before, especially with sporting events, who sometimes charge an advertising fee if you wish to display your signage.

If Requested, Should You Hide Your Branding?

What should you do if you’re asked to cover your branding? The jury here at JohnTalk, after some deliberation, is of the opinion that you must take each case as it comes. If the event is a small one, with a single customer, most PROs wouldn’t have a problem covering up.

Yet, for larger events like music festivals or corporate events, the advertising opportunity may be too much to pass up, as the potential for further work off the back of these is quite substantial.

While we believe that a large event would be hard to compromise on, we also agreed that it probably wouldn’t be worth losing the job, so we’d cover it up if we had to. At the end of the day, a sale is a sale.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

While this industry relies greatly on word of mouth, there are other ways to market your business. In the event that you have to cover your branding, use social media to broadcast the job you’re doing.

Using Twitter and Facebook effectively can ensure your name gets out there. Put up photos or videos of your units on the site, include your branding in posts, and use hashtags (#) to link to your company and the event that you’re working. Show off your talents so that anyone at the event can easily find out whose portable restrooms they were using by searching online. The bonus is that people who weren’t even there can see what a great job you’ve done. For more tips on using social media for advertising your brand, click here.

While you might never be asked to hide your branding, it’s good to know what to do just in case. It’s well within your rights to refuse to do so, but know that the customer has the right to give the job to someone else, too.

Make an informed decision, and use backup marketing like social media if you want to get your name out there!

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