Bold and humorous marketing posts are not common in the surface finishing industry. However, there’s one character who’s mastered the use of provocative humor to draw attention to the products and services of his company. His name is Jeff Blain, and we had the opportunity to interview him exclusively.
An aerospace engineer by training and a California native, Jeff shared that when he first started posting on LinkedIn, he had no clear intention behind his content. He mainly published informative posts — in other words, boring ones. Unless someone was specifically looking for that kind of information, his posts didn’t attract much attention.
Then he made a decision that forever changed his social media interactions and turned him into a LinkedIn celebrity thanks to his unique and uninhibited style. He began using humor to highlight the products and services of Circle-Prosco, Inc., where he currently works as Regional Manager.
“I’m someone who likes to joke and have fun. That’s how I connect with my friends. When I meet new people, I usually use humor to connect — it’s just my natural style. I see it as a kind of icebreaker or a bridge. People like to laugh. So I thought, maybe this is a good way to connect with potential or existing customers by using a bit of humor,”
-Jeff Blain
He hasn’t shied away from being flamboyant and funny along the way and he’s found that the LinkedIn community responds well to his style.
Though he says he’s never gotten into any real trouble, he shared a funny anecdote during our interview that could’ve ended badly due to a lack of caution while designing a graphic.
After addressing the issue of chemical cleaners not being at the right temperature (which causes foam and bubbles) with a photo of an actor in a bathtub and his own face photoshopped on, Jeff took a bolder approach to tackle the issue of «beading» on parts that aren’t properly cleaned. And here’s what happened.
In English, this issue is referred to as “beads,” the same word used for the popular bead necklaces handed out during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, often in exchange for women flashing their chests during the festivities.
“So, there was this guy wearing all these beads around his neck, and I wrote, ‘Beads are bad.’ I was playing on the double meaning — that they’re bad for cleaning, and also that maybe it’s a bit of a cheeky idea, you know? That made me laugh, so I figured maybe others would connect with it too. So I posted it. And the first person to reply was the HR rep from my company,”
the Circle-Prosco, Inc. Regional Manager recounted.
Surprised, Jeff figured it wasn’t a big deal — if it had been serious, they wouldn’t have replied publicly. He assumed they were just keeping an eye on him for being a little mischievous and risky. But there was another twist.
“What I hadn’t noticed when using Photoshop was that one of the beads had a marijuana leaf on it. So it looked like I was promoting drugs. Then my son said, ‘Dad, what are you doing?’ He’d already seen the post and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ So, sometimes I have to pay more attention to what my humor is doing — but that was probably the closest I ever got to real trouble,”
Jeff said, laughing.
When it comes to advice for making funny posts, Jeff recommends being authentic — but also offering useful information beyond just the laughs.
“I think the best combo is when I know — from talking to people in the industry — what a real, common problem is that might be annoying or frustrating. I like using humor around that issue so people are like, ‘Oh yeah, Jeff gets it. This is crazy. We either laugh or cry about it.’”
“And after connecting with the person, I try to offer them something helpful — a resource or insight that can solve or at least address that issue. So I’d advise people to be themselves, be authentic, post something that will stand out and connect with others — but at the end of the day, you have to know what people really need and give them something useful,”
-Jeff Blain
For Jeff, it’s not so much about selling a brand or product — it’s about solving real problems for the people you’re trying to help, and building trust through connection, followed by offering real value.
Jeff Blain serves as Regional Manager at Circle-Prosco, Inc., holds an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business, and currently serves as Treasurer of the National Board of the Chemical Coaters Association International.
By Gerardo Zambrano
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