Calling your customer ‘babe’ is taking personalisation a step too far
After Jessica Hodkinson fell victim to an over-familiar EDM ambush, she wondered if marketers might have finally crossed the personalisation line.
Last week, I received an email with the following subject line: ‘Babe, those shoes you wanted are now on sale.’
Even though it caught my attention, it also made me cringe and feel a little uncomfortable.
So I decided to post about it on LinkedIn.
When I walk into clothing stores I do find that some shop attendants do call me babe, now I just try avoiding these stores and going online because of their shop attendants are too much. I recently received one edm that had their headline as “For The Cool Girls”. Really? Is this primary school in 2007? Either way, their branding seems to work with the young and impressionable kids these days considering all their competitors (probably the one that called you babe) stock the same items $20 cheaper.
Thanks for your comment Lucy. I think the example you share, clearly shows that they have grouped all customers together instead of segmenting and targeting clearly. ‘Babe’ actually came from a higher end brand, which is probably why it shocked me more.
I would have immediately removed myself from their mailing list if I received an EDM like this.
Babe, did you wanna go out for a cheeky rose’ after work?
Obviously not enough on your mind or your desk to spend time being outraged, doing the analysis and then writing about it. Majority still rules and it’s a term heard everywhere. Lecturing about its failure as a marketing salutation is creating seriousness from nothing. Let it go. Let it go.
Sorry Jessica, don’t agree with you on this one. Using colloquial phrases such as “babe” gives a brand some personality. I hate those generic EDM’s with subject lines like “50% Sale Inside” or “Great Deals Not To Be Missed!”. They turn me off and make me unsubscribe instantly because they are generic and boring.
Agree with you Jess, the only thing more annoying than a work associate addressing me as babe (or doll, in one young man’s case) and then signing off with and ‘x’, would be a brand addressing me as babe – in-store, via email or just about anywhere.