HORROR MARKETING HORROR STORIES A LESSON IN WHAT NOT TO DO Every marketing professional wants their campaign to be memorable. They want consumers to take notice — or take the bait — and make their company a big profit. But sometimes, things don’t go exactly as planned. The campaigns below certainly won the attention of consumers, but in each case, what started out as a marketing dream quickly turned into a nightmare.
FIAT’S DIRECT MAIL DISASTER In 1992, women across Spain received anonymous letters inviting them to go on a “little adventure.” The letters stated, “We met again on the street yesterday, and I noticed how you glanced interestedly in my direction.” Fearing a stalker, many women locked themselves in their homes. A few days later, another letter arrived, revealing the identity of the “secret admirer” as the new Fiat Cinquecento. Yes, the creepy letters were part of a marketing campaign by the Italian car company. Fiat apologized and ended the campaign after criticism from consumer protection groups, Social Minister Cristina Alberdi, and the 50,000 women who received the letters. KFC AND HOOVER CAN’T DO MATH A shocking number of companies hold giveaway promotions without calculating exactly how much they will cost. Here are a few examples. chicken meal with two sides and a biscuit for anyone who went to their website and downloaded a coupon. Over 10.5 million coupons were downloaded, and KFC had to give away $42 million in free food. • In the 1990s, Hoover Company in the United Kingdom offered two round-trip plane tickets with the purchase of a vacuum. Unfortunately, even in the ‘90s, most vacuums • Back when “Oprah” was the biggest show on television, KFC ran an ad offering a free two-piece
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT If you’ve had any installation from Pye-Barker, chances are you’ve had the pleasure of meeting our lead technician, Shawn Sprouse. Shawn’s spent 13 years in the industry, but his background in mechanics goes back much, much further. We sat down with this long-time Pye-Barker team member to learn just what makes him tick. long tenure at Pye- Barker to the sense of community he’s found here. “I eat, sleep, and breathe Pye-Barker,”
SHAWN SPROUSE EATS, SLEEPS, AND BREATHES PYE-BARKER
Shawn says with a laugh. “They’re my family away from family.” Speaking of family, when he’s not helping piece together custom applications on factory floors, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife and 5-year-old son. The Sprouses spend a lot of time exploring the outdoors, whether they’re hunting, fishing, or using their ATV. But as big food enthusiasts,
“From the time I was a kid, I’ve been taking things apart and putting them back together,” Shawn reflects. “I’d tear my remote control cars apart and then Frankenstein them into something new.” While these early experiments with mechanics would foster a love of hands-on creativity, it was a much bigger car that set Shawn down the road to a carrier. “My first car was a ‘71 Ford F100,” Shawn explains. “When my dad handed over the keys, he told me if I was going to drive it, I was going to fix it … Any maintenance or body work that had to be done to that truck — I did it.” From this experience, Shawn went from car mechanics to diesel and then finally to industrial engineering. While his interests shifted over the years, one thing always remained the same: Shawn was looking for a challenge. “Prior to Pye-Barker, I didn’t like being tied down,” Shawn admits. “But Pye-Barker is always giving me different jobs and projects to work on. They challenge me, which is what keeps me around!” But it’s not just the variety of work that keeps Shawn engaged; he also attributes his
the family also enjoys exploring all the great dining Atlanta has to offer. Overall, Shawn’s a man who loves what he does for a living and the time it gives him to spend with his family.
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Pye-Barker Supply Co. • www.pyebarker.com
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