# 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:** 32
**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, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/621 "2023-08-21T18:58:46Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Was this a real business? > > **Yes.** > > Was this business before social media? > > **Yes** > > Did this business stop advertising because they closed, liquidated and kept the profits? > > **No.** > [@dirtball](#): > > 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. **No to demographic change.** > [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Does the business have a special clientele who wouldn’t want to share the service with outsiders? **NO** > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > 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? **NO.** > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Does “success” mean making more money? > > **Just typical business success. Growing, making money, staying in business.** > > Attracting more customers? > > **YES, this too.** > > Just staying in business? > > **Definitely, of course.** > > Branching out into other kinds of business? > > **NO** > > Branching out into other markets? > > **NO** ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/622 "2023-08-21T19:04:57Z")
Was the reason they stopped advertising due to copyright/trademark issues? Was their product confused with a similar product? Was this a local business? ---
**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, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/623 "2023-08-21T19:05:14Z")
Were they relying on word of mouth to get business? Did they do something, or provide something, the customers would come back for repeatedly: - More often than once a week? - More often than once a month? - More often than once a year? Were their customers other businesses, primarily? Or just everyday home consumers? ---
**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, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/624 "2023-08-21T19:28:39Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the reason they stopped advertising due to copyright/trademark issues? > > **NO** > > Was their product confused with a similar product? > > **NO** > > Was this a local business? > > **NO** > [@dirtball](#): > > Were they relying on word of mouth to get business? > > **YES** > > Did they do something, or provide something, the customers would come back for repeatedly: > > - More often than once a week? > - More often than once a month? > - More often than once a year? > > **Definitely varied. All three of those are possibilities for some folks.** > > Were their customers other businesses, primarily? > > **NO.** > > Or just everyday home consumers? > > **YES, at least for the most part. It might have changed over the years, but at the time of this incident, that was the case.** 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, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/625 "2023-08-21T19:51:19Z")
Would it have been 100% legal to continue advertising the way they had been, but they figured — correctly, as it turns out — that, no, they’d get better results by dropping the ads they’d been running, and starting up no new ads? ---
**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, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/626 "2023-08-21T20:00:02Z")
Was this one of those multilevel marketing things? ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/627 "2023-08-21T20:14:15Z")
Was the service something you wouldn’t want other people to know you were buying? ---
**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, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/628 "2023-08-21T20:29:27Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Would it have been 100% legal to continue advertising the way they had been, but they figured — correctly, as it turns out — that, no, they’d get better results by dropping the ads they’d been running, and starting up no new ads? **Yes, everything you just said is correct.** > [@dirtball](#): > > Was this one of those multilevel marketing things? **No, thank goodness. I hate those scams!** > [@DemonTree](#): > > Was the service something you wouldn’t want other people to know you were buying? **NO** \*\*.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/629 "2023-08-21T20:46:40Z")
Did dropping ads change the way their customer’s perceived the quality or value of the product? Did this allow them to do anything else with their business plan, like reduce prices, improve service, expand other aspects of the operation? Were their ads thought to be poorly received and they figured no ads are better than bad ads? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/630 "2023-08-21T21:01:22Z")
I’m stumped at the moment, but I just wanted to call dibs on posing the next puzzle. ---
**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, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/631 "2023-08-21T21:15:37Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did dropping ads change the way their customer’s perceived the quality or value of the product? > > **NO** > > Did this allow them to do anything else with their business plan, like reduce prices, improve service, expand other aspects of the operation? > > **NO**. I mean, it might have, but it is not the main reason they did it and irrelevant to this puzzle. > > Were their ads thought to be poorly received and they figured no ads are better than bad ads? > > **NO** Keep 'em coming. > [@Chronos](#): > > I’m stumped at the moment, but I just wanted to call dibs on posing the next puzzle. You got it. ---
**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, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/632 "2023-08-21T21:31:25Z")
Did they sell one specific product? One category of products? A variety of products? Is this a physical store? A manufacturer? A restaurant? Are they still around? Did they advertise a lot before they decided to stop? Did they have memorable ads? ---
**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, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/633 "2023-08-21T21:36:46Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Did they sell one specific product? One category of products? A variety of products? > > **Variety of products** > > Is this a physical store? A manufacturer? A restaurant? > > **No to all of these** > > Are they still around? > > **Yes.** > > Did they advertise a lot before they decided to stop? Did they have memorable ads? > > No idea how much they advertised. No, I don’t think their ads were memorable; I don’t remember any. 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, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/634 "2023-08-21T21:39:09Z")
Well, there goes my guess that it was AYDS… ---
**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, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/635 "2023-08-21T21:57:52Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Well, there goes my guess that it was AYDS I’ve heard of that and no, that isn’t it. ---
**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, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/636 "2023-08-21T22:10:41Z")
Was it a store-brand line of products, that the store actually advertised for a while and sold respectably well against national-brand competitors on their shelves, and then the national brands said, _look, it’ll be worth your while to Knock That The Hell Off, are we clear?_ ---
**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, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/637 "2023-08-21T22:11:55Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Was it a store-brand line of products, that the store actually advertised for a while and sold respectably well against national-brand competitors on their shelves, and then the national brands said, _look, it’ll be worth your while to Knock That The Hell Off, are we clear?_… Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/638 "2023-08-21T23:48:27Z")
Was the advertising actually having a negative effect? Was it [Strand cigarettes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strand_(cigarette))? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/639 "2023-08-22T00:04:10Z")
Did volume of sales (as measured in amount of product) increase after the cessation of ads? Did the per-unit price of the product increase? Was the success entirely due to the decrease in expense, due to not paying for advertising? Was there some other, non-marketing, expense that decreased, along with the cessation of ads? ---
**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 22, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/640 "2023-08-22T00:09:31Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was the advertising actually having a negative effect? > > **They obviously thought so, hence the strategy of stopping all advertising. Was it really? I can not say.** > > Was it [Strand cigarettes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strand_(cigarette))? > > NO > [@Chronos](#): > > Did volume of sales (as measured in amount of product) increase after the cessation of ads? > > **YES** , I assume so. They made more money and their business thrived. I don’t have data in front of me, but the business succeeded and grew. > > Did the per-unit price of the product increase? > > **NO, I don’t think so.** > > Was the success entirely due to the decrease in expense, due to not paying for advertising? > > **NO** > > Was there some other, non-marketing, expense that decreased, along with the cessation of ads? > > **NO** Keep 'em coming. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=31) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=33)