When your marketing doesn't make sense

Recently, I received an unsolicited package from someone I don’t know wishing me a great 2008. They enclosed a paper day organizer with their logo on it. Unfortunately for them, all of their material went straight to the trash can. Who runs a technology company and still uses a paper calendar?

Yesterday, I got an unsolicited package from Mars, the candy company. “Look inside for a sweet deal” read the teaser on the box. I figured it was a sample of some promotional item that we could purchase and perhaps brand with our message like they do with M&M’s. When I opened this medium size box, I saw two Milky Way candy bars and two Flavia coffee packets along with an order form. No personalized letter telling me more. Just an order form to buy coffee and candy for our office. What got me annoyed was that the packaging inside the box was wood shavings that dropped all over my desk, pants and floor as I opened the box. What a mess! It turned me off completely.

I’m fairly certain that the people behind these marketing efforts were pretty proud of the content they were mailing out. The candy was nice but neither of these marketing efforts made any sense to me. I could tell it cost the companies a good bit of money and time, but they totally missed the mark. Mr. Paper Day Organizer needed to take a leap into the new century and Mars should have included a letter or something more than just an order form – and definitely some different packaging material.

When you create a campaign to generate more business,

  • Do you think about who you are targeting and how they might react to your message?
  • Are you reaching the right audience in the first place?
  • Do your email messages reach the right people and include an easy flow that guides them into taking action?

If you miss these critical points, you not only waste your time and money, but also your prospect’s time and money. That can be such a turn-off that you dilute the value of your brand in their eyes so the next time you reach out, you are met with skeptical eyes.

Like this? Share it with your network:

I need help with:

Got a Question?

Get personalized expert answers to your business questions – free.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to purchase something using one of our links at no extra cost to you.