Yes, folks, it is that time of the year again. The time when Lexus, Mercedes, BMW and the others try to convince you that buying a car for your loved one is a reasonable gift.
Because nothing says "I love you" like dropping $3000 on a car and then a residual monthly payment of $400 for 36 months not including insurance and gas. And then they take it back.
Don't let the recession hit you in the ass on the way out the door.
Though I do have to say that the Christmas ads have been pretty muted so far. But there's still three weeks to go, I'm sure the retailers will ratchet it up as we get closer to the day.
Showing posts with label dumb marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dumb marketing. Show all posts
6.04.2008
File Under: Lame Marketing
I came across this ridiculous toy at Target earlier this week and had to wonder what kind of genius came up with it. The Hulk can leap miles at a time, why would he possibly want to ride a dinky little ATV?Part of me loves stupid toys like this and the other part of me wants to smack the over-marketing stupidity that comes up with this garbage. Like the Human Torch atv when the Fantastic Four movies were in the theaters (for the whole week it was there).
1.14.2008
Stupid Fake Contacts in iChat/AIM
Every so often I'll see some "contact" in my iChat/AIM contacts that I have never seen before and have never been in contact with before. I don't really understand why someone I don't know or have any interest in knowing can just appear in my contacts like they're some pal of mine.
They seem to usually be people within Apple but that may just be my presumption.
Today's mystery guest in my contact list is Liv Green, not a real person but a site about, you guessed it, Living Green. The site is busted, I have zero interest in interacting with a contact list invader and would just as soon lock down my list to bar jackhole interlopers altogether.
But, since I'm using AIM through my GMail, I don't have that functionality as of yet. I bet I can figure out how to do it though.
I just don't get the mentality behind someone or some company deciding its a good idea to dump themselves into contact lists, like I'm just going to open up a chat with someone because they appeared in my list. Um yeah, I'm a little busy for that, thanks. Or no thanks really.
On an unrelated note, I've now got my TwitterBar loaded up on all of the computers I regularly use so it'll be easy to drop quick updates whenever I like. Now I just need to redo my blog template to go three column and there will be space the Twitter badge in the sidebar.
They seem to usually be people within Apple but that may just be my presumption.
Today's mystery guest in my contact list is Liv Green, not a real person but a site about, you guessed it, Living Green. The site is busted, I have zero interest in interacting with a contact list invader and would just as soon lock down my list to bar jackhole interlopers altogether.
But, since I'm using AIM through my GMail, I don't have that functionality as of yet. I bet I can figure out how to do it though.
I just don't get the mentality behind someone or some company deciding its a good idea to dump themselves into contact lists, like I'm just going to open up a chat with someone because they appeared in my list. Um yeah, I'm a little busy for that, thanks. Or no thanks really.
On an unrelated note, I've now got my TwitterBar loaded up on all of the computers I regularly use so it'll be easy to drop quick updates whenever I like. Now I just need to redo my blog template to go three column and there will be space the Twitter badge in the sidebar.
11.19.2007
Pop Under Ads? Puhlease!
Apparently some websites haven't gotten the memo that pop under advertisements do not work and are just an annoyance to surfers. Pop ups are worthless too but are slightly less annoying since you actually see them and can just close them.
But both pop ups and pop unders are just stupid wastes of money. Yes, I'm looking at your Classmates.com.
I was under the understanding that FireFox was supposed to block these stupid and pointless ads and yet they seem to keep popping under my browser window.
Its time for some new ad models, preferably ones that don't rely on hiding themselves and being annoying but I'm not holding my breath.
But both pop ups and pop unders are just stupid wastes of money. Yes, I'm looking at your Classmates.com.
I was under the understanding that FireFox was supposed to block these stupid and pointless ads and yet they seem to keep popping under my browser window.
Its time for some new ad models, preferably ones that don't rely on hiding themselves and being annoying but I'm not holding my breath.
10.18.2007
Obscured Pay-for-Services
As you might guess, I've been spending quite a ridiculous amount of time on job sites looking for a good job or even a mediocre job.
Part of that process is taking advantage of all the resources each site has to offer.
I've stopped using Monster.com because of their security issues and their lack of being completely forthright with their users when they did realize that they'd been breached. Which is two big and nasty strikes. These days, that's one too many and they handled it badly. Oh yeah, the huge splash page to sign up for Phoenix University or some other school upon signin was really annoying too. So Monster had to go.
I've been trying to use CareerBuilder with limited success. They do not seem to understand that 25 miles means 25 miles, not 40 or 50 or 60 in some cases. A fifty mile commute here means close to two hours each way and that is just going to happen. But I still try to use the site and was reading my email this morning and they said something about a service called ResumeDirect.
The idea is that they've got access to jobs that aren't even being advertised and will feed those HR Managers your resume to get you in the door more quickly. There are some flaws with the logic but I thought "What the hell" and gave it a try. After getting nearly all of my info loaded in, including a rather stupid idea of a generic cover letter (which is like a flashing neon sign saying DELETE ME to a hiring manager) then they take me to the checkout.
And at the checkout they want to bill me more than a hundred bucks for the service. At no other time during the process was a cost mentioned, nor that the costs would be higher for selecting multiple industries. My immediate response was to close the window and go back to my regular (read that, free) job searching.
Why do companies think it is sensible to hit you with the costs after the groundwork is done? It just pisses me off and could have saved me the time by making it very clear up front that this was a pay-for service.
The result of which is that I no longer trust or want to make use of the site because I feel like they are going to be trying to weasel money out of me.
The same sort of thing for Guru.com. I logged in last night for the first time in months and came across several projects I could definitely do. But when I clicked through them I found out that I could read the projects but not bid on them unless I upgraded my account to a paid account. Which, as you might guess, is not going to happen and I will very likely never even try to use Guru again.
I understand these companies aren't charities and they need to beef up their bottom lines but they charge to post the jobs and should not be obfuscating their costly add-ons by putting the money stuff after the work of entering the information.
And, because I hate having nothing but negativity in my posts these days, I'll wrap up by saying I've got an extremely promising interview being schedule for this coming Monday. Its with a great and stable company in the bike industry and I would love to get on board with them.
Part of that process is taking advantage of all the resources each site has to offer.
I've stopped using Monster.com because of their security issues and their lack of being completely forthright with their users when they did realize that they'd been breached. Which is two big and nasty strikes. These days, that's one too many and they handled it badly. Oh yeah, the huge splash page to sign up for Phoenix University or some other school upon signin was really annoying too. So Monster had to go.
I've been trying to use CareerBuilder with limited success. They do not seem to understand that 25 miles means 25 miles, not 40 or 50 or 60 in some cases. A fifty mile commute here means close to two hours each way and that is just going to happen. But I still try to use the site and was reading my email this morning and they said something about a service called ResumeDirect.
The idea is that they've got access to jobs that aren't even being advertised and will feed those HR Managers your resume to get you in the door more quickly. There are some flaws with the logic but I thought "What the hell" and gave it a try. After getting nearly all of my info loaded in, including a rather stupid idea of a generic cover letter (which is like a flashing neon sign saying DELETE ME to a hiring manager) then they take me to the checkout.
And at the checkout they want to bill me more than a hundred bucks for the service. At no other time during the process was a cost mentioned, nor that the costs would be higher for selecting multiple industries. My immediate response was to close the window and go back to my regular (read that, free) job searching.
Why do companies think it is sensible to hit you with the costs after the groundwork is done? It just pisses me off and could have saved me the time by making it very clear up front that this was a pay-for service.
The result of which is that I no longer trust or want to make use of the site because I feel like they are going to be trying to weasel money out of me.
The same sort of thing for Guru.com. I logged in last night for the first time in months and came across several projects I could definitely do. But when I clicked through them I found out that I could read the projects but not bid on them unless I upgraded my account to a paid account. Which, as you might guess, is not going to happen and I will very likely never even try to use Guru again.
I understand these companies aren't charities and they need to beef up their bottom lines but they charge to post the jobs and should not be obfuscating their costly add-ons by putting the money stuff after the work of entering the information.
And, because I hate having nothing but negativity in my posts these days, I'll wrap up by saying I've got an extremely promising interview being schedule for this coming Monday. Its with a great and stable company in the bike industry and I would love to get on board with them.
9.14.2007
County Fair Deal or No Deal
I'll go with No Deal, Howie.At least there wasn't a deal to be had in terms of tickets. Tickets for adults were $9 at the door or $8 online. Which sounds like a little bit of a deal. However, for each ticket purchased online they assessed a "convenience fee" of $1 which completely negated the deal. And you have to pay to print out the tickets yourself as well.
No Deal.
But the fair was a good time and we had alot of fun exploring things, petting llamas and emus and having corn dogs and strawberry lemonade. And Grady really, really, really enjoyed the chance to explore a real fire truck. He must have climbed into it fifteen times.
The best part is that we hit it before the final weekend madness. Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday are going to be crazy out there and we really wanted no part at all of that. There was a crowd today but it was far smaller than what we'd face tomorrow.
And I got some really good photographs of some award winning Dahlias, among other neat stuff. But $18 for two adult tickets and $5 for parking turned out to be a pretty good deal for all the entertainment we got.
6.30.2007
Rabid Shareware Registration Reminders
So I wanted to try out a cool screensaver I'd seen a few weeks, a 3D Aquarium one that looks gorgeous and has quite realistic fish movement.
And it is gorgeous and nice. It is also shareware, which is totally fine. However, the registration requests start up very quickly and got so damned annoying, I just deleted the stupid ass program.
Shareware makers, I understand your pain and desire to get paid for your creations. But being so in-your-face is annoying and short sighted. Ease up a bit, limit the fish or the tank or whatever but put the registration attack on the back burner. Or just make the program time out in three days or whatever.
You're shooting yourselves in the foot by being so abrasively aggressive in demanding registration. And the 3D Aquarium people have lost any chance of a sale with me because they made themselves to over the top aggravating.
And it is gorgeous and nice. It is also shareware, which is totally fine. However, the registration requests start up very quickly and got so damned annoying, I just deleted the stupid ass program.
Shareware makers, I understand your pain and desire to get paid for your creations. But being so in-your-face is annoying and short sighted. Ease up a bit, limit the fish or the tank or whatever but put the registration attack on the back burner. Or just make the program time out in three days or whatever.
You're shooting yourselves in the foot by being so abrasively aggressive in demanding registration. And the 3D Aquarium people have lost any chance of a sale with me because they made themselves to over the top aggravating.
3.05.2007
DirecTV's Nonsense Ad
Have you seen DIRECTV's latest ad?
The one with Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmit Brown from the Back to the Future movies?
Yeah, the one where he "forgets" to tell Martyabout DirecTV's expanding HD line up. The commercial endswith him saying "Impossible? That's what they said about my flux capacitor."
Which I take to mean that yes, it is impossible because the flux capacitor doesn't exist, it was a fucking movie prop.
Nicely done, DirecTV. Make bold claims backed up by utter falsehoods that most people won't recognize as false. Quality spin.
The one with Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmit Brown from the Back to the Future movies?
Yeah, the one where he "forgets" to tell Martyabout DirecTV's expanding HD line up. The commercial endswith him saying "Impossible? That's what they said about my flux capacitor."
Which I take to mean that yes, it is impossible because the flux capacitor doesn't exist, it was a fucking movie prop.
Nicely done, DirecTV. Make bold claims backed up by utter falsehoods that most people won't recognize as false. Quality spin.
3.04.2007
Tanks for Nuttin', Giants
San Francisco Giants tickets went on sale yesterday. We've got a good crew of guys looking forward to heading up to San Francisco on Opening Day. However there is a catch. To get a ticket to Opening Day, we've got to become Season Ticket Holders, the cheapest of which (which also happens to be in the Upper Nosebleed section where occurrences of altitude sickness are not uncommon) is $840.
Yes folks, to go to Opening Day at AT&T Park, you have to buy a whole crapload of tickets.
Which means that I'll be watching the Opening Day celebration and Barry's March to 756 at home. Which is fine, the beers are alot cheaper, the hecklers are mellower and parking is free.
Still, I cannot understand the mentality behind this move. Seems destined for the Stupid Hall of Fame.
But maybe they did have some tickets available yesterday. But I had both kids all day yesterday so there really wasn't any time to break off and get online to get the tickets then. So maybe it's kind of my fault, unless they never had any other tickets for sale, in which case, the Giants are shooting themselves in the foot with this marketing scheme.
Yes folks, to go to Opening Day at AT&T Park, you have to buy a whole crapload of tickets.
Which means that I'll be watching the Opening Day celebration and Barry's March to 756 at home. Which is fine, the beers are alot cheaper, the hecklers are mellower and parking is free.
Still, I cannot understand the mentality behind this move. Seems destined for the Stupid Hall of Fame.
But maybe they did have some tickets available yesterday. But I had both kids all day yesterday so there really wasn't any time to break off and get online to get the tickets then. So maybe it's kind of my fault, unless they never had any other tickets for sale, in which case, the Giants are shooting themselves in the foot with this marketing scheme.
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