Almost exactly one year ago to the day (I checked), I posted a diatribe (& felt MUCH better after doing so...!) about a marketing brochure I had received from my cellphone company, proclaiming: "Moms Rock. Superphones help them roll."
As a non-mom -- and NOT by first choice, either -- you can just imagine how that made me feel. (Well, you don't have to imagine. Just go read the post.) ; )
I do not have a smartphone. (I barely use the four-year-old non-smartphone I have now.) Every now & then, I will admit that I do think about getting one. But do you think that getting a pitch like this in the mail is going to make me any likelier to rush right out to the nearest phone store?? (Hmmmm.... what do you think???)
Anyway -- guess what? It's now one year later and -- it's baaaaaccck!! Actually, not the exact same brochure -- it's Annoying Marketing Pitch: The Sequel!
Last year's pitch was "Moms Rock." This year's brochure arrived in the mail today, addressed to me, and the cover reads: "Moms rule. And deserve amazing phones that make every day easier."
Inside: "Get a phone that works as hard as you do."
Dear Bell:
Please get it through your thick skull: I am NOT A MOM. Yes, I am a woman of a certain age -- but contrary to what some people may think or believe, "woman" does not necessarily equal "mother". In fact, one in five adult women today will NEVER BE MOTHERS -- some of us by choice, some of us by circumstance, some of us because of infertility &/or pregnancy/infant loss. We may not have kids -- but I'm willing to bet that most of us do have cellphones (and likely more disposable income than your average mom, who has kids to clothe, feed and educate). That's a lot of potential clients you are not just ignoring, but possibly insulting, even hurting, with this sort of mom-centric targeted marketing.
I may not be a mom. But I like to think that I, too, "deserve" amazing phones that make every day easier. I may not have kids, and I don't discount the fact that mothers work damned hard and have "busy lives," as your brochure notes -- but believe me, I work damned hard and am pretty busy some days too.
Sincerely,
Me
Please send that letter - you rock!
ReplyDeleteYour RESPONSE rocked. That needs to not only be sent to Bell but to so many businesses worldwide.
ReplyDeleteYou rock! And your letter rocks!
ReplyDeleteI know it is no comfort at all - but also in my part of the world (=Europe) companies use same marketing tactic. Terribly stupid!
Mail it. Seriously, they need to hear that message.
ReplyDeleteI'm with everyone else. Mail it. And inform them that they have ensured you will not be buying your phone from them when you do eventually one day way in the future decide to upgrade to a smartphone.
ReplyDeleteAnd you do rock. And roll. You're pretty damn amazing in my book. And you've made a deep impression on many women's lives - more than the majority of moms.
I thought about it & finally decided to send them a message -- sort of a combination of this post & the one I wrote last year. Try finding an e-mail address or even a snail mail address on their website, though. :p I did not want to call (& get caugnt in "press 1 for.." hell) or speak to a representative onscreen. I finally sent them a private message via Facebook. Will let you all know what, if any, response I receive.
ReplyDelete