How a Grow Super email ruined Valentine’s Day
Content manager Annie Wylie tells a Valentine’s Day-themed tale of eDMs, polyamory, and how clumsy language can have big implications for customer loyalty.
Holidays and big events are always an excuse for brands to come out with wacky ways to get you to spend money or engage with their service or product.
Whilst most are harmless there have been a few corkers that leave you wondering what the approvals process is like. Triple M’s Ozzest 100 was tone-deaf in its response to Triple J shifting the date of the Hottest 100 in recognition of the problematic nature of celebrating on Australia Day for indigenous folk.
Then there’s countless examples of Anzac Day ads gone wrong, the freshest in my memory being Woolworths badly received ‘Fresh in our memories’ campaign (see what I did there?!).
Valentines Day doesn’t really have any political connotations, however. It’s a largely commercial day anyway, so brands using it as an opportunity for a themed eDM or social post seems pretty appropriate and timely. I mean hell, my own team made a Valentine’s video for social and we’re a mental health service!
Spent a lovely Valentines with my two lovers, fortunately I don’t get charged extra fees to be with them both, unlike super funds.
Well said!
You are entitled to your opinion, however it becomes problematic when your assume your opinion is right. With that in mind, I completely disagree about “making any potential customer feel less than others is never a good strategy.” This then means conversely that making any potential customer feel more than others is never a good strategy, however most loyalty programs are built on that. This article in my opinion is a complete miss, and is an example of poor marketing advice.
Really? Is it offensive? It’s a bit tacky, it’s a bit trashy, it’s a bit in poor taste. It’s not offensive unless your like to err on the sensitive and puritanical side of life. It’s hardly on par with the Australia Day thing.
The aim is to get young people interested in their super (super important), they’re trying to be cheeky about a serious (but boring) topic and they do include a disclaimer!
Marketing isn’t about making everyone feel amazing, you want potential customers to feel like they’re missing out.
Sweetheart…get a life.
Anyone in a polyamorous relationship is having that much Sex they don’t have time to be getting offended about a clearly satirical email about superannuation.
I am all about opinion pieces & normally enjoy the content on Mumbrella… HOWEVER, this is the political correctness gone WAY TOO FAR and everything that’s wrong in today’s society.
I too received the push notification and thought ‘hmm interesting’ but understood the point and took no offence. As someone who was definitely ‘polyamorous’ in her younger days it was definitely did not offend me.
The same concept would have worked better if it was tightened up (i.e. is it about polygamy or infidelity?), the first line wasn’t so authoritative, (the footnote doesn’t save it), and the copy sharpened up with a dash more humour and a smidge less preach.