Any professional in any industry will tell you the same story: the moment you register as a business you will be inundated with calls and e-mails from advertisers trying to sell you everything from newspaper pages to designer stationary. For the most part it is bland and easily ignored. Once in a while you’ll get an insistent one who refuses to take no for an answer and they can brighten up a bland paperwork day with a bit of verbal sparring.
I’ve blogged before about some particularly inspired spam I have recieved so today’s post is about the other side of the coin and the just all round bad promotion.
I got a call the other day from someone telling me I had been selected as one of the top 10 photographers in Glasgow; very flattering but experience brought up red flags so I insisted on getting details via e-mail before I discussed any more, that way I’d have evidence of whatever they claimed to do. I’m promised an immediate e-mail and few hours later nothing so I forget about it.
Today I receive the e-mail:
“Out Of A Shortlist Of 40 Other Selected Photographers
in Glasgow Only 10 Will Have The Chance To Make The
Top 10 Photographers in Glasgow List And Be Part Of A
Massive 2 Year Campaign Promoting You As One Of
The Best This City Has To Offer!”
Who can resist an offer like that. Granted I’ve already gone from Top 10 to Top 40 but that’s not so bad given Google finds more than 1 million results for photographers in Glasgow. So why have I been shortlised?
Our selection criteria has been based on positive online customer reviews,
customer service and quality of food,
Well it is true that I pride myself on excellent customer service and I’ve been working on getting online reviews to back this up, and of course I do offer excellent…what now?
We Will be Creating A 2 Year Campaign Promoting
You As One Of Glasgow’s Top 10 Restaurants And Spread The Word Online
Like Wildfire To Locals and Visitors to Glasgow”
I think I skipped a page here…
How Will You Be Shown As A Top 10 Restaurant in Glasgow?
A change in career perhaps?
You will get an exclusive listing and Be Recognised As Being One Of Manchester’s Top 10 Restaurants!
Being recognised as a restaurant wouldn’t be all that helpful, even less so in Manchester
A minimal investment secures your Top 10 listing with us for 2 years.
You know I think I’ll pass
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At some point you think somebody would have checked over their promotional material; there were 4 mentions of restaurant and 3 of Manchester in a 2 page document. Even the most casual glance suggests this company’s marketing ethos is to copy & paste to every career and city they can think of.
The best part is the e-mail says they will call me in a few days to discuss my application. I really am looking forward to that
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Stuart Dreghorn
www.dreghorn-photography.co.uk
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