The Best (And Worst) Marketing Gimmick in Austin
As I walked from the Austin Convention Center, I noticed that nearly every car had an envelope under the wipers, marked “Parking Violation.”
Suspecting this might be a South by Southwest gimmick rather than meter enforcement, I grabbed one of said envelopes.
Indeed, opening the envelope revealed a postcard with a quarter taped to it and a pitch for a start-up called ParkMe.
“Download the Parkme app today,” the flyer said, in all capital letters, below the also fully capitalized “Parking violation warning.”
I wonder how many car owners fell for it, and just how forgiving they were upon learning they had been played.
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