Would YOU Use this Marketing Tactic?
Tonight I came across a marketing method that just plain annoyed me.
I’d been getting e-mails about the predictions for 2012. You probably know that something big is supposed to happen on December 21, 2012. Some say the end of the world; others say the beginning of something wonderful.
Anyway, I decided it would be interesting to see what they had to say on the “Free” CD they offered. There was also a 43 minute video to listen to, so I set the e-mail aside to come back to after midnight. (Because of my Hughes Net connection, I can only watch video between midnight and 3 a.m., and then it arrives in chunks.)
I had gone to their site briefly a few days ago, and had seen that there were “only 23 copies left” of this wonderful CD that I needed to order, so I was a little surprised to get the same message again today.
When I went back tonight and found that they still had “only 23 copies left” I naturally realized they were lying, so was already annoyed.
Next I saw that the CD was free, except for shipping. OK, I’ll see how much the shipping is.
$6.95 – that’s not terrible. But wait a minute… I read some more and found that I would automatically be enrolled in a monthly program that cost considerably more than the $6.95.
My attitude toward that kind of marketing is “Phooey on that.” So I didn’t even stay to listen to the video, I just left.
I would never sign up for a monthly anything without first being acquainted with the company and what they had to offer. It’s simply too much hassle to get back out of one of those programs if you don’t like them.
If they had sent the CD, given me time to listen, and then offered something more, I might have been agreeable. But maybe not. They had already destroyed my trust with the 23 copies lie.
The scarcity tactic should only be used when it’s true.
But what do you think about their tactics?
Would YOU have ordered the CD for $6.95, knowing that you’d be enrolled in a monthly program that cost more? Would you have still trusted them after seeing the lie about 23 copies?
Posted: December 29th, 2009 under advertising, marketing.
Tags: advertising, effective marketing, marketing, truth in advertising