Wonder Years

This past week I seem to have attracted a series of  mis-hits from the world of advertising… lets call it marketing gone wrong.

It seems to me that everywhere we look or listen we are being encouraged to buy or try something that we either don’t want, don’t need ….or don’t know exists. But I guess that’s not new.

What is new (ish) though, is the bombardment of marketing emails and sms messages… I feel like it’s almost time to change my email address just to get off the marketing merry-go-round…. but then I think why should I ? (that’s kind of like moving house because the letterbox is full of junk-mail).

But … on a slightly different note, this week I have had some very odd telephone calls.

Odd because:

• I don’t use the telephone except in rare instances that I am the one to initiate…                                                            
• two of these calls came to my workplace (which happens to be a government department).

Let me explain ….

Two days in a row last week, I had long winded (recorded) messages left on my mobile phone voicemail… (who on earth records their message to record ???) Both messages were from my industry Union, telling me that I am “the backbone” of my workforce and that I should get behind the latest Union initiatives…

How ridiculous, I mean this man doesn’t know me… and how can he be sure that I am a good worker ? and how dare he presume that I want to waste my money replaying his long winded message ? …. not to mention that they are spending Union funds on this crazy telephone campaign (last time I checked there were over 35,000 members… so that’s a lot of mobile phone calls).. mmm I wonder if we are ALL the backbone of  the industry ???

The other odd calls came to the office – again I don’t ‘do the phone’ … but on seeing the confusion of the  colleague  that did answer, I was compelled to ‘step in’ and rescue him (then wondered why I did ).

Now I’m not able to share exactly what I do … (it’s top secret lol) … but lets just say I work in an ‘under the radar’ program.. a fabulous, but discreet service that works on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.

So… you can imagine my surprise when the insistent voice on the end of the line, was giving me the hard sell on advertising ……. via SHOP_A_DOCKETS !!!  Having waited till the man eventually drew breath, I tried to explain that we are a service that does not advertise… but he went on …..and on …and on…..with all the reasons that we should , until finally I gave up and hung up on him.

The following day a similarly strange call came… but this time from the Police Department …They were FUNDRAISING!!!!!! What the ??? As I said…. we are a government department too….. so how on earth does that work???

Finally … I was driving to work this morning and I spotted a bus whose entire side was dedicated to advertising an MRI Scanning Clinic …. It left me wondering just how many people would see that bus and suddenly have the urge to visit that clinic for an MRI ????

Now I did a quick search to see what the meaning of marketing actually is. It’s true to say that there are as many definitions as there are poor examples of it …. but from 72 Marketing Definitions I took a select few (below) as ‘food for thought’ …. and have to say that it serves to confirm my first impressions – I have been the victim of multiple and epic marketing bloopers !

• Intuitive by design, marketing matches the right message/cause to the right person
• Marketing is meeting the needs and wants of a consumer.
• Marketing is creating irresistible experiences that connect with people personally and create the desire to share with others
• Marketing has little to do with the service provider and everything to do with the customer

mmmmm …curious …. very very curious….

Tags: comment, fundraising, marketing, observations, selling, upselling