Email Opt-In Fail at Fresh Market
After a quick sandwich run to The Fresh Market, I noticed this little desk next to the door:
What’s wrong with the photo above? Does anything seem a little off to you?
At first glance, it seems like a fancy little desk to fill out a comment card or sign up for a shopping spree… then I saw the SIGN UP call to action. Similarly in email, “the real world” needs CALLS TO ACTION to guide the eyes of “users”, but I digress…
Since there was a keyboard on the desk with a tiny screen attached at the top, I figured it was a very clever way to sign up for an email newsletter before you left. Especially since underneath SIGN UP, it mentioned something about email newsletters. But as I sat down to plug in my email address, I realized the keyboard was there to be used as a way to collect your information if you’re APPLYING FOR A JOB. Major fail and a missed opportunity there.
Notice the little postcards in front of the SIGN UP poster? Yeah, you need a pen or pencil to jot your name and email down. Then they’re gathered up at the end of the day and MAILED to their database headquarters only to be MANUALLY ENTERED, which then I’m assuming the cards are thrown away or at least recycled. What a waste.
To add insult to injury, there was no pen at the desk. I had to ask a cashier to borrow hers in order to sign up. This was a FAIL in every respect of the word.
Posted by Bryan Quilty on Aug. 16, 2010
Wow! Own goal, in soccer terms.
They need something to attract attention. Here in Japan, each time I walk past the fish section in the (smallish) supermarket, a motion detectors starts a sound system to play some stirring music while a lively voice tells me about the current fish of the day deals etc. It works well, but every dept sometimes does it, so can get a little noisy. Like a real market!
Posted by Mark McClure on 08/22/2010 11:41 PM