Posted on 11/11/2006 1:33:45 PM PST by dcnd9
Best Buy has announced they will be using "Happy Holidays" this coming Christmas shopping season, and they will not be using "Merry Christmas."
Dawn Bryant, a spokeswoman at Best Buy Co. Inc., says their advertising will not be using the term "Merry Christmas." "We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them," Bryant said. Send email to dawn.bryant@bestbuy.com
Reference article:
http://www.forbes.com/business/services/feeds/ap/2006/11/09/ap3161404.html
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
No Merry Christmas, no business! You would think these stores would have learned from last years protests wouldn't you?
Now that is funny!
Her logic isn't.
She is basically saying that to wish someone "Merry Christmas" is offensive to non-Christians. Best Buy is very exclusive...and they won't be getting my money this Christmas!
You could call your local Best Buy and read that for the manager.
Let's forget the anti-Christian aspect for just a moment...this is a poor marketing strategy and bad business judgment.
Instead of endearing themselves to everyone, as business should do, they dilute the message entirely and do not personalize it for anyone.
In today's digital world of variable data, personalization, and 1:1 marketing technolgies, using a static, generic message is just so 20th century.
Having said all that, we know for sure this strategy was designed to suppress Christians.
I did!!!
Dawn,
Thank you for making our shopping this Christmas so much easier.
Forbes.com
"We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them," said Dawn Bryant, a spokeswoman at Best Buy Co. Inc., whose advertising omits any reference to Christmas.
http://www.forbes.com/business/services/feeds/ap/2006/11/09/ap3161404.html
We have now omitted Best Buy Co. from our list of places to shop and will advise our entire Christian families and community to do likewise.
You have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Signed
16 members of my family
Dunno if it's worth the effort. It's not like the local manager could actually do anything about it.
I'm also considering a letter to the paper, which around here is pretty fair about publishing letters on all sides.
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
"Merry Christmas" Ban
has now replaced the day after Thanks Giving as the official start of the Christmas season.
My suggestion is to email to Susan S. Hoff, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer.
susan.hoff@bestbuy.com
Good point.
Had a conversation with a man in line at a store today. We commented on how horrible it is to see the vile magazines (and the wait was long). He commented how it's going to get worse the closer it gets to the "holidays". I remembered how I try to avoid all shopping in the month of December and told him: (not knowing his religious persuasion, if any)
"Even if a person isn't very religious, it's crystal clear that Jesus' message is not BUY MORE STUFF!"
Maybe I'll use that as a tagline for a while, and make a home made bumpber sticker.
I just read the quote in Forbes from your spokesperson, Dawn Bryant:
"We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them," Bryant said.
Let's forget the Christian aspect for just a moment...this is a poor marketing strategy and bad business judgment.
Instead of endearing Best Buy to everyone, as a business should do, you dilute the message entirely and do not personalize it for anyone.
In today's digital world of variable data, personalization, and 1:1 marketing technolgies, using a static, generic message is just so 20th century and ineffective. There is no reason whatsoever that all religious messages cannot be included in your advertising.
From an economic perspective, if you surveyed your holiday shoppers, you will find that more than 80% of shoppers are purchasing items for Christmas, not for "the holidays". There are some basic rules of thumb to follow when you have such a dominant contribution to profits.
Last, we all know that Christmas shoppers contribute disproportionately (on the upside) to your annual profits. Seems to me that your organization is lacking in some basic marketing and economic analysis, along with a poor communication strategy.
Due to your removal of the word Christmas, for reasons that are clearly not sound business principles, I, along with many others already, and anyone else I can persuade in public forums, will not be shopping at Best Buy this Christmas.
Sincerely,
I noticed that in the Sears sore in Oak View Mall in Omaha, NE they had banners hanging that said both "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays".
You got that right. This site has some real horror stories.
http://bestbuysux.org/index1.html
Long ago I gave up shopping at "Worst Buy". Their rebate program is mostly a scam, their return policy stinks, and their sales staff seem to pride themselves on their lack of product knowledge.
Reminder to send a letter to Best Buy morons bump...
yeah, Best Buy has really gone downhill the past few years. Overpriced cheap crap with a few very overpriced quality goods sprinkled in.
That's fine. I hate them as much as they hate me. I intend to stock up on all of their loss-leaders on Black Friday and e-bay them for profit.
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