Your marketing message: Stay on context

It sure isn’t in this case. As you can see below, I recently installed a trial for Google SketchUp Pro.

Here’s the final “I’ve successfully installed it” screen.

Notice how it’s asking me if I want to change the default search engine in Internet Explorer?

Totally out of context.

• this application has nothing to do with search
• this application has nothing to do with browsing or Internet Explorer
• this application has nothing to do with the internet.

Yet they felt it was in-context to ask to change the default search engine in Internet Explorer.

The dumbest thing of all: The default search engine in my Internet Explorer is *already* set to Google.

Why is this even worth discussing here? Because I’m afraid that some of you are sending messages as out of context as this one.

Maybe the mistake a more subtle than this, but it still causes confusion and makes your customer wonder what planet you are on.

More extreme examples:

• When someone orders a meatless meal at a local restaurant, do they ask them if they want a meatball on the side?
• When you contact an attorney to get a divorce worked out, do they ask you if you want to buy a pre-nup too?

Make sure that the message you send matches the context of the time of delivery, whether you create software or canoe paddles.