Big brother is watching, not so much!!! The Amazon saga continues…

In my last post Big brother is watching, not so much!!! I brought to your attention some less successful targeting attempts by Amazon (yes the one and only targeting guru).

Well, the saga continues as there is apparently no end to how far Amazon can stretch a digital camera purchase! Reading through all their e-mails I thought – if I have to suffer through this, I want to do it in good company.

So here it is, phase two of the ‘I once bought a digital camera at Amazon’ saga.

After having suggested I may be interested in a memory card, and later a camera case, (both of which I had already bought from Amazon) Amazon sent me the following mail.

Yes, a couple of camera cases, which 1) we have already established I own, and 2) they have already proposed to me in a previous e-mail. The mail also suggests I may be interested in a few batteries which 1) makes me question the relevance and 2) makes me want to call Amazon and educate them on what a perfect stocking filler looks like!

It’s also quite obvious they don’t know if I bought the camera for myself, or for someone else (why would they, they never asked), as they suggest, in the same phrase, that I may enjoy the accessories…or I may want to put them in someone’s Xmas stocking.

A few days later, here we go again.

This time I’m almost as surprised as when I was asked to buy a camera case and a memory card I already bought. Why? Because I have never, not once, browsed for photo frames. Would you Mr Amazon by any chance have made that assumption because I recently – yes say it after me, bought a digital camera? If that is the case, not good! No one appreciates someone pretending they know them when they don’t!

And then yesterday.

Yes back to the accessories, camera cases and photo frames – I’m thinking this is starting to look like the old above the line reach and frequency approach – if we show it to her enough times she will end up caving in (and to be honest if I thought buying another camera case would make the emails stop I would – I’d even put it in my Xmas stocking!).

I’m also registered at Amazon France from the time I lived there. I think the databases are connected since I’m forced to choose if I want the country I live in to be specified in French (Angleterre) or English (England). This makes me think my data resides in one place, which you would think is cool since it should improve targeting.

And yet….

This e-mail is to help me out with some Xmas present ideas. What jumps out at you? Yes can you see it? The famous digital camera Canon IXUS I just bought (but in gold)! Maybe they think asking me in French will make me want to do it all over again?

They also seem to be a little confused as to who I am, and what to call me, as they keep jumping from ‘Dear customer’ when they refer to something I have bought, and L. Andersson for random why not buy e-mails. Neither of which i feel is particularly warm, targeted or human.

In summary, if you are a company looking to target then:
•   Make sure you track all behaviour, and cross analyse (cross order, purchase and country) – there is no excuse for not knowing what someone has already bought.
•   If you want to track behaviour, and make people feel you ‘know them’, then maybe L Andersson is not the way forward.
•   Don’t make assumptions about what lies behind a purchase when you communicate– and if you need to know then ask people when they place their order.
•   If you suggest to someone they have done something, or like something – then make sure you have your facts right!
•   If you want to cross sell – then make sure it makes sense…
•   …and make sure you don’t over do it…there are only so many ‘we hope you enjoyed the digital camera you just purchased’ e-mails people can take.
•   Consider cutting down on other promotional e-mail while you send targeted communication, no-one wants to get more e-mails from a company than a best friend.
•   And finally, if someone does not respond, give up…you are probably barking up the wrong tree!

As for Amazon, the shining example in targeting…it all seems like a bit of a mess. Although one thing is crystal clear to me, whatever you do, never buy a digital camera from Amazon, it will just confuse them, and nothing good will come out of that!

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