The week before I left for vacation I was in L.A., one of the only cities where I end up renting a car rather than sticking with taxis or a car service. Hertz upgraded me to a styling Ford Mustang, which I must say has been upgraded significantly since my first car, a 1988 model. As I got into the driver’s seat there was some kind of advertising hanging from the rearview mirror. Out of instinct I ripped it off and tossed it into the passenger seat. Lucky for me I stopped, thought twice, and took a look at this marketing piece. I might have missed a message that kept me legal and makes another great example of Marketing with Meaning.

I learned from the RadioShack marketing piece (scanned above) that California recently passed a law that drivers must use hands-free systems if they wish to use their mobile phones while driving. I didn’t know this and surely would have spent many of the hours I sat in traffic on the phone with coworkers and clients.  Of course, there is probably a low chance of being busted, but I would rather comply with local laws.

Aside from advising me of this law, RadioShack’s ad offered 20 percent off a Plantronics brand headset, and listed some of the nearest store locations. It would have been a breeze to punch an address into my Hertz Neverlost system.

I believe this advertising tactic passes the two tests for Marketing with Meaning: First, it is pretty clearly something one can choose to engage with or not. Although it was stuck on my mirror it didn’t prevent me from starting up the car, and I could easily toss it in the backseat. Second, the marketing itself added value, whether I purchased something or not. It informed me of the local law and possibily prevented me from paying a steep fine.

Although I don’t have data, I would expect that this program could perform well for RadioShack. The company is able to reach potential customers when and where it is most relevant. The store address list and 20 percent discount help push people to close the sale. And the unique UPC on the piece will even allow the company to track its effectiveness and return on investment.

Hertz also gets some credit and business benefit from this effort. It gets a share of the credit for keeping its customers out of trouble, and likely collects a fee from RadioShack for the advertising opportunity.

RadioShack as a company is on somewhat uneven ground. The company has been boxed out by big-box retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart, and it is suffering from decreasing mall traffic. But 2008 sales and profits were up, and it has carved out a unique niche with specialty electronics products and nearby locations. I think if the company continues to shift its marketing to more efforts like this, the company could find itself in a leadership position once again.

(BTW, is that Denise Richards on the right?)