WHY WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE REMAINS IMPORTANT

Some time back, I received a coupon ad from a pizza chain. The ad, which was produced by some out-of-town printer or ad agency, included several familiar Indiana towns. It was designed to create the impression that the chain’s stores were really locally oriented pizza parlors.

But there was one town I hadn’t seen: Fishus.

Of course, they meant Fishers, that fast-growing community that seems destined to become our state’s second-largest burg. How did they manage to bungle the spelling? My guess is that someone dictated the copy over the phone, and that someone had a pretty thick accent.  Say “Fishus” aloud, and you’ll hear it.

Problems like that happen frequently, but most companies are wise enough to have materials proofread before they go into production. My guess is that nobody who read the ad’s locations believed for a moment that they were really a Hoosier company – and I’ll wager that the chain’s marketing staff never bothered to notice.