Comments on: Poorly Thought-Out Marketing Materials Are Everywhere (and with BIG Names on Them…) http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6 Income-boosting resources for commercial writers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:48:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: David http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1764 David Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:21:47 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1764 I'll add my Verizon story to the collection. I got a direct mail piece advertising their FIOS service. When I called the number listed NO ONE answered the phone. The phone company sales staff wouldn't answer the phone. David I’ll add my Verizon story to the collection. I got a direct mail piece advertising their FIOS service. When I called the number listed NO ONE answered the phone. The phone company sales staff wouldn’t answer the phone.

David

]]> By: Pobrecito http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1739 Pobrecito Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:58:57 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1739 I've worked for Verizon(formerly Bell Atlantic) for twelve years.Your experience is not surprising at all.You have NO idea how clueless, mismanaged and apathetic they are, in all departments and functions. An irate customer, who happened to be of Asian descent, summed it all up when he asked me once, "How You Company Make Money?!?" The joy of being a monopoly.Anyone who is making a living without working in corporate America should thank God everyday. Pobrecito I’ve worked for Verizon(formerly Bell Atlantic) for twelve years.Your experience is not surprising at all.You have NO idea how clueless, mismanaged and apathetic they are, in all departments and functions. An irate customer, who happened to be of Asian descent, summed it all up when he asked me once, “How You Company Make Money?!?” The joy of being a monopoly.Anyone who is making a living without working in corporate America should thank God everyday.

Pobrecito

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1515 peter Sun, 17 May 2009 13:56:36 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1515 Thanks Michael, You may be right, but I (and probably most of the other folks weighing in here) have seen sloppiness like this for years - and in the best of times. But, staffs are no doubt leaner now and they can't help but make it worse. I was mentioning this example to a friend the other day, and she basically said, "Bottom line, marketing isn't talking to IT. Period." But yes, it most certainly does offer opportunities and openings to approach companies like these. PB Thanks Michael,

You may be right, but I (and probably most of the other folks weighing in here) have seen sloppiness like this for years – and in the best of times. But, staffs are no doubt leaner now and they can’t help but make it worse. I was mentioning this example to a friend the other day, and she basically said, “Bottom line, marketing isn’t talking to IT. Period.” But yes, it most certainly does offer opportunities and openings to approach companies like these.

PB

]]> By: Michael Temple http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1514 Michael Temple Sun, 17 May 2009 13:24:26 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1514 Some of this is probably happening because of the recession. There are a lot of jobs that are now gone from corporate America, but in most cases the work still needs to be done so it falls on someone else. The new person who is "lucky" enough to get this assignment simply doesn't know any better. They are trying to accomplish too much with too little. The good news is this continues to spell opportunity for some of us. Hopefully as some of us discover these things we can find a way to break in and offer our expertise and make a few shillings as well. Some of this is probably happening because of the recession. There are a lot of jobs that are now gone from corporate America, but in most cases the work still needs to be done so it falls on someone else. The new person who is “lucky” enough to get this assignment simply doesn’t know any better. They are trying to accomplish too much with too little.

The good news is this continues to spell opportunity for some of us. Hopefully as some of us discover these things we can find a way to break in and offer our expertise and make a few shillings as well.

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1509 peter Tue, 12 May 2009 22:09:12 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1509 Thanks for sharing that, Don - truly amazing! And so monumentally unnecessary when services like tinyurl.com are out there. You have to ask yourself: what are these dummies thinking? Well, they're NOT thinking, that's the problem. But, as the examples above demonstrate, it's pervasive... Thanks for sharing that, Don – truly amazing! And so monumentally unnecessary when services like tinyurl.com are out there. You have to ask yourself: what are these dummies thinking? Well, they’re NOT thinking, that’s the problem. But, as the examples above demonstrate, it’s pervasive…

]]> By: Don Wallace http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1507 Don Wallace Mon, 11 May 2009 19:19:09 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1507 In the "negative call to action" department: here's a similar marketing fubar along the same lines that I saw recently. I subscribe to a Microsoft technology subscription for IT people. An inserted sheet was in the last update that I received from this program. The sheet described that MS wants feedback from users on a change to the program. They were using the web site "SurveyMonkey.com" to collect responses to a poll on this, which is a web site that provides free survey services online. Microsoft printed the *actual* URL for the SurveyMonkey poll on this sheet. It looked like encrypted binary trash and was about 30 characters long: IE, something like: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=EKsGphkHK8i8uCZ9L8_2bQ_3d_3d Being printed material, you would have to sit down and type every character in order to enter this survey. I'm sorry, I have a life - I tossed it. Ludicrous. Whoever was responsible for this has no respect for their customers. In the “negative call to action” department: here’s a similar marketing fubar along the same lines that I saw recently. I subscribe to a Microsoft technology subscription for IT people. An inserted sheet was in the last update that I received from this program. The sheet described that MS wants feedback from users on a change to the program. They were using the web site “SurveyMonkey.com” to collect responses to a poll on this, which is a web site that provides free survey services online.

Microsoft printed the *actual* URL for the SurveyMonkey poll on this sheet. It looked like encrypted binary trash and was about 30 characters long: IE, something like: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=EKsGphkHK8i8uCZ9L8_2bQ_3d_3d

Being printed material, you would have to sit down and type every character in order to enter this survey.

I’m sorry, I have a life – I tossed it. Ludicrous. Whoever was responsible for this has no respect for their customers.

]]> By: John Tabellione http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1501 John Tabellione Tue, 05 May 2009 16:04:23 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1501 Having worked for Fortune 500 firms, I have often seen the "left hand/right hand" mentality in action: the Marketing folks rush to meet their deadlines, while the IT people have a different set of priorities. Or, vice versa. Or, the respective groups simply drop the ball and deadline. The "no customer service" caveat that consumer advocate/icon Clark Howard always mentions, is a direct result of the "bigs" trying to cut back on their staffs, and, while certain things may still run properly, more often than not, you get the above examples. Ditto to Devon: "they" don't care about losing a few hundred customers. However, in today's Twitter/Blog/LinkedIn world, this kind of news can spread like wildfire. Sadly, I am sure we can also come up with examples at the other phone companies, too, so where does one go? Having worked for Fortune 500 firms, I have often seen the “left hand/right hand” mentality in action: the Marketing folks rush to meet their deadlines, while the IT people have a different set of priorities. Or, vice versa. Or, the respective groups simply drop the ball and deadline.

The “no customer service” caveat that consumer advocate/icon Clark Howard always mentions, is a direct result of the “bigs” trying to cut back on their staffs, and, while certain things may still run properly, more often than not, you get the above examples. Ditto to Devon: “they” don’t care about losing a few hundred customers. However, in today’s Twitter/Blog/LinkedIn world, this kind of news can spread like wildfire. Sadly, I am sure we can also come up with examples at the other phone companies, too, so where does one go?

]]> By: Brian Westbye http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1499 Brian Westbye Mon, 04 May 2009 14:58:53 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1499 Astonishing. Just...NO!!! What are you THINKing, Verizon??? Providing all my info to the Dept. of Homeland Security was bad enough. Now this???? Astonishing. Just…NO!!! What are you THINKing, Verizon??? Providing all my info to the Dept. of Homeland Security was bad enough. Now this????

]]> By: Devon Ellington http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1497 Devon Ellington Fri, 01 May 2009 20:50:13 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1497 Don't get me started on Verizon. They have zero customer service, all of their materials are wrong, and they're infamous for bait-and-switch marketing. Not to mention that they've refused to stop the daily harrassing phone calls I'm getting or give me the necessary information so I can file a cease-and-desist order AND refuse to stop someoen from hacking in to my phone line and placing false orders with mail order companies. yeah, I've got complaints pending with the AG's office and the BBB. They have crap materials because they don't care. They're big enough so it doesn't matter if they lose a couple of hundred customers here and there. Intimidated? No way. Would I work for them? Maybe at double my usual rate. Plus aggravation fees. Not my kind of company. Will dump them when I relocate. Don’t get me started on Verizon. They have zero customer service, all of their materials are wrong, and they’re infamous for bait-and-switch marketing. Not to mention that they’ve refused to stop the daily harrassing phone calls I’m getting or give me the necessary information so I can file a cease-and-desist order AND refuse to stop someoen from hacking in to my phone line and placing false orders with mail order companies. yeah, I’ve got complaints pending with the AG’s office and the BBB.

They have crap materials because they don’t care. They’re big enough so it doesn’t matter if they lose a couple of hundred customers here and there.

Intimidated? No way. Would I work for them? Maybe at double my usual rate. Plus aggravation fees.

Not my kind of company. Will dump them when I relocate.

]]> By: Star http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/poorly-thought-out-marketing-materials-are-everywhere-and-with-big-names-on-them%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1#comment-1494 Star Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:55:37 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=43#comment-1494 Ooops---just mocked Harvey Mackay on my Recession Blog... http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com. Dale Dauten is nice to me, tho. Ooops—just mocked Harvey Mackay on my Recession Blog… http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com.
Dale Dauten is nice to me, tho.

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