There are these types of investments you can make called “SPDRs”, that are referred to as “Spiders” in the ads. Not only that, but they make little animated cartoon spiders that crawl all over the place and weave webs and stuff. Is this the best idea to attract customers? Perhaps another name is possible? Like, say, um, any other name?
Okay, here’s the problem with spiders: most people think they’re gross and scary. Also, it’s what they do that makes them a singularly unfortunate mascot for a financial product. So, what do spiders do that make them a bad mascot for an investment service? Well, spiders lure you, then trap you in a web from which you cannot extricate yourself. Then they wrap you up and slurp all of your life and juices from you.
So, when I see a financial product called a “Spider”, I can’t help but think that I’m being lured into a trap, where the spider will then wrap my investment up in red tape where I can’t get to it, and then suck all the money out of the investment, leaving my finances as an empty, dry husk. That’s what comes to mind. Is that what they were hoping I’d think of, because if so, then they totally nailed it!
