Imagine my good luck at receiving a credit adjustment in the mail for $161.64.
Not knowing exactly what a credit adjustment is, I rip open the nondescript, official looking envelope to find that I have been included in a select group of individuals chosen for a special publisher’s offer on a three-year subscription to Motor Trend magazine — an offer not available to the general public.
The regular subscription price is $179.64, but with my special credit adjustment of $161.64, the price is only $6 per year. Wow.
Not only that but they’ll also throw in a free a multifunctional watch with my paid order. I would think a free watch would be more appropriate for a subscription to Time magazine, but nonetheless, it’s a pretty impressive deal. The only problem is I don’t have the least interest in cars or motor sports, which begs the question of why they’ve selected me for this offer, other than the fact I subscribe to a couple of other unrelated magazines.
It doesn’t seem to be a very targeted or cost-efficient direct mail campaign. With access to as much consumer data as there is available, one would think they’d be able to match those with a propensity to subscribe to magazines with those who have an interest in cars and motor sports.
The bigger issue is that they have very adeptly compromised any perceived value I might have had for Motor Trend magazine, as they’re about giving it away and attempting to bribe me with a free watch. This smacks of a desperation tactic and I can’t help wonder if they’ll even be around three years from now.
It’s another good example bad marketing — the kind of thing that gives direct mail a bad rap.
2 Comments so far
Leave a comment
“I would think a free watch would be more appropriate for a subscription to Time magazine…”
Har, har, har.
Comment by Nick August 4, 2010 @ 10:44 amI received a few catalogs in the late 90′s from Anastasia International – how’s that for targeted marketing?
Comment by Alex August 4, 2010 @ 11:01 am