ONLINE-ADS>> Online Promo/SPAM -- call for comments!

Kathy E. Gill (kegill_at_halcyon.com)
Sun, 4 Jan 1998 13:23:02 -0800

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Recently received this SPAM ... it was L-O-N-G .. but I'm excerpting two
interesting parts for comment (parenthetical comment -- I'm not even in
their target marketing group -- so not only is it SPAM, it's poorly focused
SPAM!).

>Introducing,
> Aspirations: The Rational Foundations of Achievement.

<snip>

>Aspirations will soon be promoted nationally by Rogers & Cowan,
>America's largest public relations firm. Be the first to learn and
>apply these revolutionary new insights.

<snip>

> Emailing...
>The most environmentally friendly form of
> advertising--no waste, no noise.
> Eat spam, don't hate it.
> Drag-n-Drop is soooo hard...
>
>Send the word "remove" in the subject line
> and we'll take you off the list.

(1) Rogers & Cowan is NOT the country's largest PR firm. It is part of the
Shandwick Company (according to their PRSA listing):

>In addition, Rogers & Cowan, a Shandwick USA company, is the world leader
>in entertainment publicity and designs marketing-oriented public relations
>and promotions strategies. Rogers & Cowan stands alone in its ability to
>bridge the
corporate world with the powerful marketing influences of the entertainment
industry, providing highly creative, original programs that combine the
flair of entertainment with the sound strategies of corporate marketing.

Shandwick says that IT is "the world's largest independent public relations
consultancy" (which doesn't mean that its division, Rogers & Cowan, is the
country's largest PR firm!)
http://www.prsa.org/redbook/fullserv.htm

(talk about hyperbole - why does it seem so much more blatent on a web page
than in a brochure?)

I'm not sure who gets the title "largest PR firm in the country" --
"Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, a leader in public relations for more
than 40 years, is the world's largest privately held independent public
relations firm and the fifth largest of all firms."

Does it matter -- and does it blow your credibity to make such claims if
they are false or can be argued?

(2) Can you believe the sarcasm in the "remove instructions"???

Please tell me this WAS NOT created by an agency -- what do you marketing
gurus think, eh?

(3) What do you think is the best way to promote a product like this -- is
it "direct mail" e-mail? Do the concepts from print direct mail WORK in
e-mail (you know, those LONG four page missives -- I can't stand them but I
know all the research says they work -- I find these long e-mails equally
obnoxious -- perhaps I'm an anomoly?).

Kathy

BTW -- I forwarded a copy of the SPAM to the president of The Shandwick
Company with a polite letter of disapproval.

===============================
Kathy E. Gill, Guide - http://agriculture.miningco.com/
Publisher, eNetDigest - http://www.enetdigest.com/
WWW design ï writing ï training - http://www.dotparagon.com/

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Gandhi

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