Some feminist bloggers wrote to Target to complain about one of their ads. I don’t love the ad, but nor do I find it particularly offensive; I do, however, think Target’s response to the bloggers is pretty shitty:
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.
Well then.
Somebody at Target doesn’t have a damn clue who their core guest is…
Don’tcha just love corporate-speak? “Non-traditional media outlets”…”core guest”…I swear there’s a little room located deep in the basements of business schools where they lock up prospective marketing MBAs and subject them to the “Clockwork Orange” treatment to get them to stop communicating like human beings.
Alrighty then, guess the next time I’m tempted to shop at Target I’ll walk in, say “Oh wait, I can’t shop here, I’m not a core guest.”, and walk out.
That would be great – print the picture out. Go to target. Get in line. When you reach the front of the line, have some confusion about being the core guest.
Then request a manager, and explain to them why you can’t buy all of these things, and hand him the picture.
Bonus points: “Core guest this!”
Wal-Mart used to take the same attitude toward the trade media, which pissed me off no end. They’re somewhat more mellow now, because they’re trying to make nice with their suppliers (also known as “offering someone a cigaratte after you anally rape them”).
I sent a complaint to Target as well, though it was more a question of the motivation behind the ad. I did actually get a pretty decent email from an actual person saying that they were sorry I was upset about the ad and would work on a better “message” next time. So, eh.
Not only that, this is totally against what’s being taught in B-school right now, or at least what I was taught at my B-school. Corporations pay people to field these types of e-mails, if not to bloggers, then to individual customers.
Someone also needs to give this [nameless corporate person] a grammar lesson; because this letter is more rhetorically awkward than most court documents I’ve seen.
Thank you for contacting Target; unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with non-traditional media outlets.
Um…participate in what? Miniature golf? A more accurate way to phrase that would be “Target does not give interviews to non-traditional media outlets,” which, while assholish, is an understandable policy, and one that could’ve been followed by an off-the-record comment explaining why, and perhaps making an apology of some type for the ad.
This practice is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest.
Core GUESTS.
Does ‘core’ customers mean: Red-neck retards? ‘Cause it sure sounds like politically-correct speech for it. I haven’t had much trouble with Target and I’ll shop ANYWHERE that isn’t Wal-mart. So, unless we get into it much like me and at&t right now, I’ll keep on shopping there. Have a great night.