Marketing Ninjas

I check the mailbox every day when I get home after work. Why...I'm not really sure because typically the only thing I ever need out of there is the mortgage statement. And I only need to open it so I can use the envelope they provide to send payment. But nonetheless I check it. The other day I was leafing through the junk when I stumbled upon a fancy looking little envelope. "A gift inside for you" It persuades me to take a peek. Little did I know 2 minutes later I'd be welling up in tears. Inside the envelope was a cute little notepad with baby zoo animals. Good gift. I'm a teacher, I make lists, notepad=good. But THEN, I saw something I got really excited/a little alarmed by. Dozens and dozens of cutesy return address labels with my name on 'em. I've never had my own return address labels. I always thought "what a frivolous thing to spend money on, what lazy ass can't write their own address?" This one now, because I've got labels. And the best part? They're free. Great gift. Only, on the back of these lovely labels is a letter from someone at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital asking for a donation.

(now don't go blowing this up so you can steal my address, unless of course you want to use it to send gifts)

The aforementioned tears? The picture of a child who got treatment from the hospital, and the kicker (to paraphrase) 'hopefully you'll never have a child who needs to come to St. Jude, but wouldn't it be nice to know that you wouldn't be turned down because of financial reasons'. So did I send them a check? You bet your A I did! What a great place. Now, I'm not sure how these marketing ninjas got my address, I doubt it's too difficult, but I won't discredit them. Yes, St. Jude is a wonderful place, it's purpose and mission alone will sell it, but those folks they have in marketing really know how to get things done. I wouldn't have ever said "hey, I think I'll track down an organization and find out where I can send them some money". I'm just not that cool. But the little gifty, personalized, the touching letter and the added 'this could happen to you'...you'd have to be pretty cold to turn that down.

As I press on my stamp and, yes, return address label to my St. Jude addressed envelope, (check enclosed) I realized I'd kind of been suckered. I mean, they used marketing strategies to get my money. But what a great job they have, right? They get to use these successfully persuasive strategies to get people to help other people. Not many people can say they do such a fulfilling job. I'm thinking this won't be the last time I send them a donation, after all, I've got a bajillion return address labels to put to good use thanks to them. In case my bragging on their marketing team has got you feeling the need to make their job a little easier, you can donate here. :)