Enough with organizations offering generic sentiments and abstractions.
Be specific. Give me something concrete, or don’t say anything at all.
Let’s say I’m on a company’s email list. It sends me an email telling me to enjoy a happy and safe holiday weekend. It generously tells my family to have one, too.
And then 100 other brands send me something similar. And post it on their Facebook wall. And send it out as a tweet.
What’s the net effect? How am I supposed to feel about brands bombarding me with generic messages of good cheer?
- heartwarmed that a brand went out of its way to tell me of its fond wishes for me and my family?
- irked that I have to wade through hundreds of pointlessly bland well-wishing to get any work done?
- weary to realize that latching onto any holiday (or tragedy!) with a benign message reveals desperation?
- depressed to be reminded by a faceless corporate entity that my family is dead?
- all of the above? None of the above?
If a company has nothing specific to offer but hopes, hearts, prayers, wishes, and dreams — it’s really not offering anything I value from our corporate relationship. An organization isn’t a person: it doesn’t have feelings. It can’t hope I have a happy day. It can’t send its thoughts and prayers to those who are affected by tragedy. It can’t be “pleased to announce” or “proud to accept”.
However, it can make special offers that meet the theme of a holiday. It can send relief funds to help victims of a tragedy.
Enough with organizations offering generic sentiments and abstractions.
Be specific. Give me something concrete, or don’t say anything at all.