# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 31
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/601 "2023-08-21T13:06:22Z")
Were they an entertainment company? Did they sell something that’s a physical object? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/602 "2023-08-21T13:07:05Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Were they an entertainment company? > > No > > Did they sell something that’s a physical object? > > Yes Yeppers ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/603 "2023-08-21T13:10:27Z")
Was it a food product? Were they trying to avoid directly competing with other companies that advertise a lot? (Like a soda company trying to stay out of the cola wars?) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/604 "2023-08-21T13:15:30Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was it a food product? > > Sometimes, but not always. > > Were they trying to avoid directly competing with other companies that advertise a lot? (Like a soda company trying to stay out of the cola wars?) > > No. Word count. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/605 "2023-08-21T13:20:11Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was the advertising for: > > product? > service? > travel? > politics? ??? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/606 "2023-08-21T14:24:33Z")
Was the business doing something illegal (meaning that publicly calling attention to themselves would likely get them shut down)? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/607 "2023-08-21T14:33:55Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was the business doing something illegal (meaning that publicly calling attention to themselves would likely get them shut down)?. Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/608 "2023-08-21T14:34:18Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was the advertising for: > > product? > service? > travel? > politics? Choosing from your list, I’d say service. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/609 "2023-08-21T15:05:13Z")
Was it a luxury brand? Like one of those “we don’t have to advertise because if you’re not posh enough to already know about us, we don’t want your business anyway” type things? Was it still mentioned in the media in ways other than paid ads? Like songs or movies or memes? Did they let people know they were no longer advertising? Like, was that part of the hook? “We can keep prices lower because we’re not wasting money on annoying ads” or something? Did they stop advertising because they were bought by a well-known company? Is this a local business? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/610 "2023-08-21T15:49:26Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Was it a luxury brand? Like one of those “we don’t have to advertise because if you’re not posh enough to already know about us, we don’t want your business anyway” type things? > > **NO** > > Was it still mentioned in the media in ways other than paid ads? Like songs or movies or memes? > > **NO. Not in any relevant way I’m aware of.** > > Did they let people know they were no longer advertising? > Like, was that part of the hook? “We can keep prices lower because we’re not wasting money on annoying ads” or something? > > **NO, they did not.** > > Did they stop advertising because they were bought by a well-known company? > > **NO** > > Is this a local business? > > **NO** Keep 'em coming. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/611 "2023-08-21T16:25:49Z")
Is it that they figured, _hey, we now have all the customers we want, buying our stuff in amounts we like; since we don’t need to increase sales any further, couldn’t we — in effect — make money, by pocketing the difference upon spending less money on ads?_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/612 "2023-08-21T16:33:32Z")
Or: is it, like, a restaurant that always claims they’re booked solid and you can’t get a reservation any time soon — in hopes that people will, y’know, figure the secondhand report is like unto word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied customers? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/613 "2023-08-21T17:00:01Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Is it that they figured, _hey, we now have all the customers we want, buying our stuff in amounts we like; since we don’t need to increase sales any further, couldn’t we — in effect — make money, by pocketing the difference upon spending less money on ads?_ **NO** > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Or: is it, like, a restaurant that always claims they’re booked solid and you can’t get a reservation any time soon — in hopes that people will, y’know, figure the secondhand report is like unto word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied customers?. NO. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/614 "2023-08-21T17:02:20Z")
Was this decision the result of a shift in demographics in the marketplace? A change in general attitude about something among the public? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/615 "2023-08-21T17:10:59Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was this decision the result of a shift in demographics in the marketplace? > > What do you mean by “the demographics in the marketplace”? > > A change in general attitude about something among the public? > > **NO** Keep 'em coming. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/616 "2023-08-21T17:39:17Z")
Was this a real business? Was this business before social media? Did this business stop advertising because they closed, liquidated and kept the profits? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/617 "2023-08-21T17:50:17Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was this decision the result of a shift in demographics in the marketplace? > > What do you mean by “the demographics in the marketplace”? Perhaps the market for their product/service has aged to the point where they would rethink their approach to advertising. Or maybe the appeal has shifted from primarily one sex to the other. I guess it’s a vague question, but I would think that if the answer is yes (in whatever sense “yes” might apply), it would immediately be apparent. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/618 "2023-08-21T18:14:23Z")
Does the business have a special clientele who wouldn’t want to share the service with outsiders? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/619 "2023-08-21T18:23:40Z")
Is it that, with advertising, they’d need to include a _really_ discouraging disclaimer — but by simply putting it on shelves or whatever, they can just sort of sidestep that requirement? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/620 "2023-08-21T18:55:08Z")
Like a bad valedictorian speech, I feel like we need to define success. Does “success” mean making more money? Attracting more customers? Just staying in business? Branching out into other kinds of business? Branching out into other markets? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=32)