Thursday, September 08, 2005

MSM Genius -- Not!

I would like to congratulate Arizona Republic Publisher Sue Clark-Johnson on her promotion to president of the newspaper division of parent Gannett Co., Inc.

As she moves onward and upward to the home of USA Today, and the birthplace of the investigative paragraph, I would encourage her to take a moment and look back at the sheer stupidity of the organization she is leaving.

No, I’m not going to attack the editorial department. I’m not going to attack the columnists. There is just so much good fodder there that I’m sure I cannot do it justice. Rather, let’s take a close look at the brilliance of the marketing department.

If you go to the Arizona Republic website and click on a news article, a certain percentage of time you will be presented with a survey you must complete in order to read the article. The survey asks three questions:


Date of Birth

Zip Code.

Now I have been presented with this survey dozens and dozens of times. Never once have I answered truthfully. I usually tell them I am an 80-90 year old woman living in Central Phoenix. I have asked around and, while this is not scientific, no one I know admits to answering this information truthfully.

So, as Ms. Clark-Johnson moves forward, I have to ask her: How many decisions do you make or approved based on this data collection? If the answer is many, then someone has a big problem. If the answer is few, then why are you bothering us attempting to collect this data that you never use.

And, if your marketing department is this inept – what does it say about your newsroom? Not a fair comparison you say? Why not? They share the same executive management!


Danielle said...

that is toooo funny. I am usual a male 19 year old. :-)

Interesting blog, oh you will LOVE mine. :-)

Gunner said...

See, here we have someone who, politically and socially is a polar opposite, and she admits that she lies on that stupid survey.

Jack Benway said...

Both of you should be ashamed.

How can the Repugnant properly insult our intelligence if it doesn't even understand whose intelligence it is insulting?

Anonymous said...

I do the same thing on that survey; usually male, out of state, and old. I figured if enough of us do it that way, they will divert their marketing resources toward there large audience of internet savvy octogenarians.