Now You See It- Now You Don't!
Carr Mill Goes Coulteresque!

You've seen it before, you saw it this week and you'll probably see it again! Carr Mill Mall resorting to the Coulteresque method of self-promotion and getting thousands of hours of free newspaper time for free. As Ann Coulter, the guru of right wing extremist idiocy says "Why pay for advertising when you can get it free!"

Now you see it!

Now you don't!

Picking up on Coulter's technique of "shock treatment"- stating the incredible inane, insane and certifiably ridiculous and being catapulted into the headlines- Carr Mill can only be commended for its perfecting of the science.

Banning Bruce from dancing? Banning Hoopers from Hooping? Banning musicians from playing music in a big open area? "Completely inane, insane and certifiably ridiculous", stated one unnamed future Carrboro Alderperson who wished to remain unnamed. "Everyone knew it was a ploy to get coverage. The shops are complaining that it doesn't have the amount of foot traffic to sustain even the most basic shop. They were pressuring Carr Mill to promote the mall at a higher level and Carr Mill didn't want to invest in the advertising cost.".

After consulting the Carrboro Advertising Think Tank, they came up with the new technique. Get free press at any cost.

The Bruce-Hooper-Musician ploy was the perfect solution as the results indicate. Months full of exposure that led all the way to the highest levels of the North Carolina Government. This kind of advertising can't be bought! Speeches, demonstrations, petitions and most of all the crowned prince of publicity- tens of newspaper articles and letters to the editors. The only way any organization could get so much publicity would be to propose something that is totally ludicrous.

With the winter doldrums winding to an end, The Carrboro Advertising Think Tank recommended another effective shock treatment. "It must be believable, organized and well planned.".... and thus the signs with the new rules.

Anyone seeing the signs would have to realize that it was a well thought out plan that took weeks to implement. The signs were beautiful- glisteningly white with perfect lettering, in plain view only yards from the picnic tables.... who could miss them?

Nobody missed them, as was planned.... and the barrage of inquiries, letters to the editor and newspaper articles were evidence of that. Mission accomplished... and then only days later the signs were removed with the Carr Mill group stating that "There were some mistakes in the rules". Mission doubly accomplished as it kept Carr Mill in the press for another couple of days!

So next time Carr Mill management tries to catapult itself into the headlines, don't over react....just ignore them and if we're lucky, they may go away!