Target Doesn't Engage With Non-Traditional Media - AdPulp

You know, there are many companies that we would all expect to respond like this, but Target isn't among them. I'm with David Burns from Adpulp on this one. Companies have to work much harder then this if they want to not wind up as fodder for the blog world -- and the MSM. But as Adpulp said, you can debate the billboard, but you can't debate their response. They're basically saying they don't have the time to respond to anyone but MSM. Now, would they have responded to a blog from the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal? But the real issue is that this was a response from Target. A company built on doing things in a somewhat non-traditional manner. And I would have to guess that lots of their core guests read blog, but maybe not. But, when companies get asked questions, they need to respond. And responding by basically saying you're not important enough to respond to just doesn't seem to be the right way to do it.

Amy Jussel, Founder and Executive Director of Shaping Youth, is unhappy with the sexual innuendo implied in this outdoor board from Target.

What's wrong with the ad can be debated, but there's little to debate in Target's response to Amy.

“Good Morning Amy,
Thank you for contacting Target; unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with non-traditional media outlets. This practice is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest.

Once again thank you for your interest, and have a nice day.”

I know it must be hard to engage with just any old customer, but companies are going to have to try a lot harder, or they will be consistently BLASTED on these here interwebs.

Link: Target Doesn't Engage With Non-Traditional Media - AdPulp

Comments

[ShapingYouth]

Hey, David...Since we're co-authors at the Age of Conversation I'm going to reply to you with the painfully obvious 'yep, they fouled up the response' and as a result of same BOTH our brands have been dragged through the blogosphere of distortions based on a superficial 'one ad' opinion contest...NOT remotely the point.

As I said on AdRants, "The missing piece" in this banter is that the whole purpose of phoning Target directly was to discern whether there was:

a.) an explanation within a larger campaign context or

b.) a bad judgment call that needs brought to their attention

c.) some art director(s) laughing over a latte that they “pulled a fast one”

d.) a clueless client that needs a wake-up call OR

e.) an edgier, “push the envelope” client that wanted to strive for wink & nod innuendo to slip past corporate and appeal to coolness ‘target market’…

When the attempt to fact check & determine the context was rebuffed in an e-form write off as “non-traditional media,” THAT lit up the blogosphere…

But I sure wasn't holding the match...

Shaping Youth has done everything in our power to tamp this one down (I even asked vehement readers to 'ignore it' because it was being trivialized into a 'one ad' context rather than the larger sphere of imagery in advertising.)

The hijacking and derailment of the conversation into a diluted, 'thumbs up/down' opinion poll is absurdly vapid and silly...do people REALLY think I'd pick THIS ad to dissect if that were the case? sheesh.

It's been a colossal time sink and a pain in the backside trying to clean up the media mess...

That said, I've learned a lot about the power of social media/lack of control from this nightmarish experience...Let's hope Target has too.