Why Comet has just lost my respect

I’m addicted to online questionnaires – or at least the ones where I have an interest in the subject and there’s a prize on offer. I can pretend that I’m still working on income generation while taking a break from the brain work.

 

And at the same time, I like Comet the electrical goods distributor. Although their delivery service completely fell apart in the snow a couple of months ago (it took weeks to get our fridge freezer actually to our door) I rate them very highly on service.

 

So the survey they just asked me to complete was a real disappointment. Talk about misjudging your audience.

 

No doubt it was intended to be light-hearted. No doubt some will accuse me of having no sense of humour. But I was actually offended.

 

This survey assumed so much. It assumed that I was a “blokey” sort of football loving TV watcher who wanted an HDTV in time for the World Cup, but would have to work hard to persuade his partner to spend the money. How far would I go to get what I wanted? asked the survey? Housework for a year? Other stuff likely to impress the little wifey?

 

There were no options to say actually I’m not that bothered by football, and although there are people in this house that are, they are not hell-bent on getting a big screen TV, and male or female they pull their weight around the house anyway because they don’t live in the ‘50s.

 

In copywriting we are always writing with a mind to our audience. It’s one of the first questions I ask. Who is your target audience? What are their issues? How do you address those issues? Empathy is key.

 

I’d use this approach when sending out newsletters for example. If you’ve got the budget and the technology, personalising newsletters and any other communications to the known profile of your customers is a good marketing tactic.

 

So what happened here? Perhaps a target audience was selected for the questionnaire, and I got in there by mistake. Or perhaps nobody thought about what a turn-off this would be for anyone who didn’t fit the profile. Because actually the approach was irritating bordering on offensive. And I don’t like Comet quite as much as I did before I started the survey.

 

 

What's in a name?
Express your brand platform with the right words
Who you talkin' to?
Over-friendly copy can be a real turn-off for your audience
Over-friendly copy can be a real turn-off for your audience