Marketing Crisis

Here's a fun OnlyMark Post for you...

So about 11:45 tonight my cell phone starts ringing. Not just any ring, however, it's the ring (don't ask) I have set for when my boss calls. "Why is my phone making that noise at this hour of the night?" I think to myself. "Guess I'd better answer this one instead of screening like normal."

I answer the phone and my boss is on the other end and says "Mark...I'm calling you with a marketing emergency!" Silly old me didn't really know there could be such thing as a marketing emergency, but I oblige her and let her talk.

Backstory time - At work, we're kinda in the process of revamping our marketing strategy and are basically trying to hone in on a certain group of female consumers. To meet this end, we signed a contract to do either 6 mos. or 1 year's (I don't remember which) worth of ads in a local magazine geared toward women. We spent a lot of time working with the ad rep and designer to get just the right ad, as this basically kicks off our whole new campaign. The primary purpose of this ad is to advertise our new website and lead the ladies to our site, thereby building a relationship with them and ultimately turning them into clients. Sounds simple enough, right? Basic marketing theory. Except when the magazine publishes the WRONG web address!

Yes, that's right, despite seemingly 700 proofs sent to us (many of which happening when I was in Orlando...as though I wasn't busy enough with the convention) somehow the ad that went to print included the wrong web address. It's not completely wrong, like they printed www.milk.com for an orange juice company or something, they just left a word out of our address (i.e. whoelsebut.com instead of whoelsebutmark.com). Unfortunately, a certain adage about horseshoes and hand grenades is ringing true.

Anyway, the random part of the story is that, after my boss tells me this, my first reaction is to not believe her. I don't know why, I just need to see it for myself. So it's midnight, 26 degrees outside (which is like one of the coldest of the year in SC) and Mark hops in his car to drive downtown in search of a woman's magazine. Does it get more random than that? haha!

Of course, when I do find a newspaper stand that has this magazine, I grab it, check the ad and, sure enough, the boss was right! Now I'm currently on a hunt to purchase the misprinted web address so we can link it to our real address. That has opened up a whole new can of worms b/c none of the domain registering places I've talked to seem to be able to find this domain, but I won't get into that. At least they have 24 hour customer service and their customer service people actually do speak English, unlike certain other companies!

Despite the randomness of this tale, I do take a bit of solace in two things. #1 - the approval of the final proof came from my boss, not me, so if the error was on our end, I can't be blamed! (of course, regardless I'm sure my boss will blame the ad rep for the magazine, but oh well...I'm sure I'll manage to get us a month or two free out of it!) #2 - At least my car battery didn't die or something as I was sitting on abandoned Main Street at midnight when it was 26 degrees, haha. I was sure something like that would happen to make it an ordeal, like usual. Oh yeah...my car battery has been dying lately. It's only 2.5 years old which is way to early to be dying, but, of course it is! Arrrgh! Oh, and the check engine light is back on again. This is the 3rd time it's come on since they supposedly repaired the last problem. I guess it's time to take it in again!

Alright...I'm outta here, just thought I'd share that with ya!