Berocca’s Digital Agency needs to do better
I got this email yeterday from Chris Applegate at London based “digital agency” OutsideLine.co.uk.
Chris Applegate wrote:
My name is Chris and I work for Outside Line, a London-based digital agency, and I’m contacting you today on behalf of Berocca, the fizzy orange vitamin and mineral supplement.
There’s been a lot of press recently about how blogging can be potentially stressful and tiring so to do their bit to help Berocca have launched a free Bloggers’ Relief Pack, which you might have seen mentioned on some other blogs already. It contains a stress ball, USB “stress” button, bubble wrap keyring, pen holder and a pack of Berocca and is designed to help Britain’s bloggers be at their best, both physically and mentally.
I’m just dropping you a line to find out if you’re interested in getting a free pack to try out - you can do so at the special microsite at:
www.berocca.co.uk/bloggerrelief - we link back to every blogger we send a pack out to as a way of saying thanks for giving Berocca a go. You can also check out what other bloggers have thought about it via Technorati:
http://www.technorati.com/search/www.berocca.co.uk
And of course, if you want to share it with your readers we’d be delighted. If you have any questions then don’t hesitate to get back to me. If you’re not interested, then apologies for taking up your time, and I won’t bother you again.
Yours,
Chris Applegate
Now if you were sending this email to prospective bloggers wouldn’t you at the very least do some very basic research like trying to find out if bloggers had already blogged about this promotion from Berocca? I’m going to offer Outside Line some free consultancy here, as they are obviously in need of it. If you’re reading this Chris here are 4 steps to make sure you don’t make the same silly mistake for future clients.
1. Read my blog!! Yes you could have done some real hard core research and searched for the term “Berocca” in my blog. If you did you would have seen that I blogged about this in June of this year at http://www.here.org.uk/2008/06/free-blogger-relief-pack-from-berocca.html
2. You could have actually clicked on the link in YOUR OWN EMAIL that clicks through to the Technorati search for Berocca. Because yep, my blog is listed there too.
3. You could have checked the Berocca link in YOUR OWN EMAIL as my website URL is on rotation with some others at the top of the Berocca micro site.
4. You could have asked your client Berocca, for a list of blogs that have already blogged about the promotion. They do have such a list as they feature these blogs on their site (see point 3). That would have saved you emailing and annoying bloggers who have already blogged about this.
I hope the above helps you, and that you don’t receive an email from these guys.
What I’m listening to right now: Noel Gourdin – “Better Man”
P.S. Not all digital agencies are rubbish, but some do make me wonder how they are in business and how they can justify some of their high charges to clients.
Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 9:12 am and is filed under General Ramblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Welcome to my blog. My name is Kieron Donoghue and I run UK Offer Media Ltd. I thought it would be fun to post a daily (well hopefully daily) blog, writing about my experiences in Internet Marketing and more specifically Affiliate Marketing. I'll include some personal stuff too, probably about my other passions, music and cars. Please feel free to post your comments and thoughts too.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:24 am
You’ve got the patience of a saint. I’d have deleted the email and moved on after the second paragraph. Point 5 should also have said that they could easily have added your name as a more personal introduction.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Kieron, I think you’ve been a bit harsh on Chris here, his actually really good at what he does and must just have missed the post.
Chris if you get to read this you work too hard and why haven’t I been offered a pack?
Cheers,
Gaj
September 4th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
OK so Chris should have checked not to double up by sending out emails to bloggers who had already received the free pack but does that really warrant such a post? You should write for grumpyoldmen!
September 4th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Gaj - the agency concerned only had 1 thing to do, and that was to find new bloggers. To say he just “missed the post” is saying that the agency failed their 1 task asked of them by Berocca.
Jacko - I’ll accept the grumpy bit but the old bit!?!!
TBH I come across this type of thing almost every day from so called specialists in the field and it really gets to me. Especially given how much these guys charge to clients who don’t know any better and just fall for the sales patter from the agencies/affiliate managers etc.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Hi Kieron,
Sorry, I f***** up. I actually knew you’d blogged about it in the past, and the fact it’s on the Technorati list I included as a link which makes it doubly stupid. I had made a note but then forgot to take your blog off the list of people to contact, and then I didn’t. Organisational FAIL on my part.
Trust me, as a blogger for some years and one who’s been on the receiving end of badly-directed pitches too many times than I care to think about it, I know how many agencies don’t get digital, but I like to think I work for one of the few who do. I’m sorry and I’m only human and I will make the off mistake - it’s not a reflection on me or Outside Line’s overall competence, I promise.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I’ve got to agree with Gaj here Kieron - it is way too easy to launch at people who try (however they do it) to get bloggers on-side and engage with them, especially when they are clearly making an attempt to do it properly and with respect.
Have you taken the time to lambast so publicly, the lazy shits that no doubt spam you with the same crap I get - and no doubt Chris gets? IMHO I think this is a bit of a cheap shot at someone who is one of the good guys.
Not EVERY approach is perfect, not EVRY word is necessarily the most appropriate, but to post such a piece is a bit over the top.
THAT SAID, I do agree in part with your points - there are enough tools out there (and I know the guys use one of them) to be able to search prior to sending promotional material out.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Chris - nice one, have taken you off my list of crap digital agencies.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Well thanks for pointing out the offer anyway - Id not seen it before!
I don’t think it would be a great ROI to investigate every blog being mailed but I would have kept a list at the least!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
To be fair to the lad, the email’s not bad - no bull**** about the product and the Technorati link is a very good touch - allowing what others say rather than the usual spiel instead of worthless hype from the marketeers. Terrible balls-up emailing someone who already blogged about it though, silly boy.
September 8th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Good work Chris, you got two blog posts about Berocca out in the blogosphere instead of one!
K - I think he’s double bluffed you here, mate!
Oooh, I wouldn’t mind a fizzy caffeine drink…