digital optimism

I’ve asked myself many times how using celebrities like Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Love Hewitt to sell acne solution ever made sense. I’m sorry Jessica, but I didn’t exactly empathize with you and your once ‘troublesome’ skin. And really, I’m hoping the majority of us realize that olympic athletes do not eat chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s for breakfast.

We may be young, but we aren’t dense. Or, are we? Celebrity endorsements are prevalent, so they must be effective. However, Tiger Woods driving a Buick has very little significance for me. So I just don’t get it. Someone, please- explain.

Layoffs, layoffs, and more layoffs. It’s hardly shocking anymore, and then it hits home; two Minneapolis companies (Best Buy and Target) announced, in the same day, impending layoffs. The concept of “job security” hardly exists right now. In my opinion, companies have done a terrible job reflecting this ambivalence in their marketing. Hyundai is a different story.

Maybe I’m a little out of the loop, but this is the first I’ve heard of anyone offering a guarantee like this. Hyundai has a new ad campaign going on- “Certainty in Uncertain Times.” If you’re thinking about buying a car right now, consider a Hyundai. Why? Because if you lose your income in the next year, you can bring the car back hassle free (well, there’s probably some hassle involved, but much less than trying to figure out car payments when you’re unemployed).

What an incredible reassurance for those who are debating whether or not to buy a new car in a slumping economy. I am so impressed with Hyundai right now. I would very seriously consider a Hyundai if I were to buy a car right now.

Hey Big 3! Are you hearing this? Just saying.

Sidenote- I just saw an Ameriprise commercial that mentions the “uncertain economy.” Perhaps I spoke too soon. Still, Hyundai’s guarantee rocks.

One thing I love is great customer service. And you know what I hate? Terrible customer service (I’m looking at you, AT&T).

Members of Generation Y are notorious for being the most impatient of all consumers. I am the spokesperson for this distinction. Yes, patience is a virtue… but not one that was bestowed upon me. I have high standards when it comes to customer satisfaction. Shameless plug here: I read that impatience is hugely characteristic of Gen Y members in a white paper from Questar.

Back on topic- Digg has great customer service. I sent them a request to change my username, since I couldn’t do it myself. They got back to me within 15 minutes, having already fulfilled my request. Excellente! For a free service, that is incredible to me. I sent Twitter an inquiry over three months ago, and I still haven’t heard back. Good thing it’s not important.

We’re all very quick to open our mouths about terrible customer service (I know I am). But why wouldn’t we praise great customer service in the same fashion? Where did millenials get this sense of entitlement? That’s a whole different blog post right there. Actually, that could be a senior thesis. So I won’t tread on that just yet, but I will say: bravo Digg, and thank you for giving me the kind of customer service that makes everyone else look terrible.

“I found my long lost daughters through Facebook.” I cannot say this personally; but my uncle-in-law (is that a term?) can. This is a true story.

My husband’s uncle, Francisco, was once married with twin daughters. When they were just three years old, his wife left with the girls, and he never saw them again. But that is about to change.

Curious as my sister-in-law is, she searched on Facebook for her cousins, whom the family has spent nineteen years trying to find. Facebook search yielded success and there they were; same last name, the appropriate age, and located in Argentina- just where the family thought they would be. (Sidenote: my in-laws are from Chile, and this runaway ex-wife was originally from Argentina)

To be certain she had found the right girls, my sister-in-law contacted them for some more information. Long story short, it was them- born in Chile and moved to Argentina when they were three. Their mother told them that their father didn’t want them, which of course was a lie.

God and the ex-wife only know why she abandoned Francisco, depriving him of his daughters and their entire childhood. The amazing thing for me is that after nineteen years of looking for his children, all it took in the end was a simple Facebook search. Lucky for him, his daughters are of an age now (22) where they can decide for themselves whether or not they want to meet their father. Luckier for him, they want to.

My husband and I have not spoken with Francisco yet. I can only imagine the blitz of emotions he is feeling right now. We are all hoping for a drama-free reunion for him and his children. I am truly hoping for the best possible outcome. I can tell you one thing: I cannot wait to hear what happens next.

I felt a bit relieved when I found out this ad campaign was put to rest. At first I laughed. It was certainly creative- a way to engage consumers with a brand, which I generally praise. But I believe CP+B and Burger King tip-toed the line of acceptable/unacceptable here.

I’m a big girl and I could care less if someone “unfriends” me on a social network. But not everyone on Facebook is like me. I have the thousands of middle/high school-aged Facebook users in mind as I write this. This kind of rejection, at least for adolescents, really does matter. And just because this rejection was online doesn’t make much difference.

School violence is an issue I’m extremely passionate about, so that might explain why I’m having this kind of reaction. I’m reminded of psychological research studies on ostracism by Gonsalkorale and Williams. They specifically considered “cyber ostracism” in a research study. The abstract from their research paper states:

We manipulated ostracism using Cyberball, an on-line ball toss game. Ostracized participants reported lower levels of belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence, and more negative mood, than included participants.

I won’t go too far into detail, but if you are interested, you can check out this presentation (PDF) on some of their work. This is even better: Ostracism: The Kiss of Social Death.

The point here is that this application may have been on the web, but that doesn’t change the impact. This research proves that ostracism is detrimental, whether it be online or in person. It’s like telling a ninth grader to alienate 10 of their friends for a free burger. Would BK approve of that? Perhaps I’m overreacting, but I personally believed this whole ‘Whopper Sacrifice’ campaign to be, in the end, irresponsible.