As a kid I remember the free ice cream cone I'd get on my birthday each year from Baskin Robbins. That was it. 31 choices to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Flash forward a few years. Well, more than a few.
On my birthday, I was amazed at how many "personalized" emails and direct mail I received from "marketers." I had no idea how popular my birthday and birthday marketing would become.
A few of these well-wishers got it right. Many didn't. And many surprised me that they'd even send me a birthday message.
Of course, this isn't exactly a new practice. Businesses have sent birthday wishes through the mail for years, like Baskin Robbins. Early in my career, many of our clients would utilize a birthday mailing to their (good) customers as a surprise and delight.
But I wonder, now, has the practice become cluttered and meaningless?
This year, it started the day before my birthday. Starbucks utilized snail mail (postcard) to send me a free drink of my choice as my "gift." Timing was good, and since I am a daily visitor the gift was of value and appreciated.
The email barrage (18 "corporate" birthday emails) started early a.m. on my birthday. My first came from The Rolling Stones! It was fun to show my wife, but it had little value. In fact, the main message was to buy some Stones merchandise for your birthday. The other memorable ones were all vice related, booze and cigs. The best of that lot was Marlboro. It was the only one with a "gift": free music downloads.
Ultimately, your birthday is about feeling appreciated, whether it's through thoughtful gifts, the gathering of family and friends, or the simple knowledge that people remembered.
Obviously, a corporate birthday greeting isn't as intimate as a personal one (unless, of course, Harley is giving me a free bike). But that's not really the point. The point is that these businesses want to create a relationship with their customers, and reaching out to them on their special day seems like a good way of doing that.
If you receive just one of these, it stands out. Like, "Wow, with everything they must do at Marlboro, harvesting tobacco and finding cowboys who ride horses over frostbitten streams, they actually thought of me."
But like anything else, the congestion diminishes the experience/value of the act. Now it's just a standard practice as opposed to a special one. That doesn't make me feel, well, special. Or more importantly, it doesn't make the brand/business more special.
So is this a practice best left to the Starbucks and Baskin Robbins? Businesses that can offer cheap "presents"?
Here's what I think: it's simply time to create something new. I know it's my birthday. If brands want/need to communicate to me that day, at least find ways to engage me, interest me, or I'll be quick to hit junk or delete. Provide me with an experience that will make me laugh, cause nostalgia, a gift that I'd value, or teach me something. And, don't pretend to know me too well if you don't use or have the data.
That would truly be a treat.