Last week my son came home from preschool with an invitation to a birthday party at the local bouncy house place. Inside the invitation I found a coupon for 50% off tax services. Say what?
On that same day, he also brought home a hat featuring the logo of the tax service provider (a large franchise). Add to all of this the fact that the party was for a kid whose name he’s never mentioned—a boy—and the invitation printed on pink unicorn invites. For me, the whole thing felt a little weird.
I wondered if while the kids were bouncing, would I be subjected to a tax pitch? Needless to say, we skipped the party.
What do you think? Was it an inspired marketing idea to invite 75 children from your kid’s preschool and throw in a coupon? Or did this one miss the mark?
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March 15th, 2010 at 10:19 am
In an invitation, probably a little over the top. However, I do have brochures up at my daughter’s former pre-K and I still get asked if I could donate things for Ocean Theme week. With an emphasis on family cruising, I do use my partnerships with my daughter’s elementary plus a middle and high school for promotion.
When I talk at career day, I do bring in my notepads and I also bring in cruise line brochures. They do tend to beg mom and dad to go on that fun looking ship! Maybe tax services is not the right mix but for some business I think it is a bit inspired. The execution probably was a bit off.
However, I get flyers home several times a week from other providers from music classes, jump bounce houses, second language classes and then the ever present “Eat at XYZ tonight and we’ll donate a percentage of the evening’s sales”.
March 16th, 2010 at 6:31 am
I have to say, I don’t find anything wrong with it at all unless you went and were subjected to a tax pitch. In this world of cluttered media, it’s hard to get your product out there.
March 29th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I’m all for getting the school to send flyers home–why not? My issue was that on the same day they sent the kids home with flyers and foam hats, they sent home birthday party invitations with coupons stuffed inside. That seemed like a crossed line to me!
April 13th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
[...] Stephanie Chandler reminds us that there are lines you don’t want to cross. She tells the story of a child’s birthday party that turned into an all-out marketing effort for the parent’s tax preparation service. There’s no doubt that many people will find that kind of crossover marketing off-putting and in bad taste. [...]