Target Dismisses Bloggers (& Customers) as Insignificant & Irrelevant
January 29, 2008 by Susan Gunelius
Filed under Marketing
Target (NYSE: TGT) has a new brand message, “If you blog, we don’t want you.” At least, that’s what they told Amy Jussel of ShapingYouth.org when she called Target last month to question a Target billboard ad she thought could be viewed as offensive. According to the New York Times, Jussel called Target to question the company’s ad that depicted a woman laying spread-eagle on top of the Target bullseye logo with her crotch located dead center.
Target responded to Jussel with an email that offends yet another demographic group – bloggers. A Target public relations person wrote to ShapingYouth.org saying, “Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets.” The email went on to say, ”This practice is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest.” In other words, the 100 million+ bloggers across the globe are not Target’s core guest. I guess I’m lucky I tried to boycott Target when they changed their return policy a couple of years ago. I still go there sometimes, but now, they can forget it.
Target did agree to speak with the New York Times about this matter to which a company spokesperson, Amy von Walter stated, “We do not work with bloggers currently, but we have made exceptions. And we are reviewing the policy and may adjust it.”
Guess what, Target? I’m not buying your too little too late backpedaling. Why was Ms. Jussel dismissed as a blogger? What about as a customer? What about as a human being with a question? I don’t get Target’s holier than thou attitude that is pouring over into its brand message again and again. It’s time for some serious changes at that company before it’s too late to save the brand. And a heads up to the Target marketing and PR teams, the social web is here to stay. It’s time to leverage the power of the blogosphere and bloggers as online influencers. Traditional marketing has its place, but companies that are willing to embrace the changing face of marketing (and that means new media channels) are the ones that will survive and thrive.
What do you think?
Interesting insights, Susan. Yes, blogging and social media are here to stay and businesses have to consider them when developing their PR whether they want to or not nowadays.
Niiiiice. Are they not aware that other large companies (Dell for one) have found themselves at the mercy of upset bloggers?
Thanks for reminding me about Dell, Miranda. You’re absolutely right. For any Brandcurve readers who want to refamiliarize yourselves with the Dell fiasco, check out these two posts on Brandcurve from June 2007:
Former Employee Dishes About Dell
Dell Backpedals
Any company that discounts the influence of any group is seriously lacking in insight. Target is trying to attract a more “trendy” type of audience than, say, Wal-Mart. These are exactly the people who are on the social networks and who participate in blogs. That Gump guy said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
That’s just too bad for Target that they don’t realize that bloggers have many that they “used” to spend at Target. Not much anymore eh?
Holy, that’s way surprising. Especially since Amazon widgets do tend to include Target items. Maybe, bloggers should refrain from adding any Target / Amazon items from now on, they certainly don’t deserve the publicity and clicks. Stupid move on their part.
Pretty lame on Target’s part, but I have the feeling it’s the kind of thing that they’ll get right sooner or later (once they’ve seen what a mistake fighting with the blogosphere can be).
Guess they “missed the target” on that one! Hard to believe that some press in the NYTimes won’t change their policy on “non-traditional media”.
Susan,
do you know whether they ever responded about the ad – it is a bit “off target” as well!!
Liz :)
Interesting, especially since the New York Times has a variety of blogs, themselves.
Liz, the link in my post to ShapingYouth.org is the last that Amy Jussel has written about it. While Target hasn’t come out and publicly said anything else on the matter, I certainly hope they really are analyzing their prioritization of new media in their overall marketing and PR plans.
Elizabeth,
You make an interesting point. I wonder if Target would have responded if one of the New York Times bloggers had contacted them for a quote rather than a “traditional” New York Times reporter. Hmmm..
It would be interesting to find out just how many large companies there are that just don’t get the potency of the world of blogging / social media in general?
This is very interesting. I am wondering how we can as a blogosphere help Target become believers!? If I can figure out a way to write about this on Interview Chatter, I will do it. Keep your eye out for a link.