Friday 17 January 2014

Sensory Overload

Because of the statistics associated with you reading my blog, my 'Contact Me' email address is on the lists of several Media companies.  They issue press releases and hope that I will blog about this gallery, that exhibition, this show...the whatever.  Some of them are bizarre.  Many of them are in far away places. Not all of them offer 'un-subscribe' either, which is very naughty, because they are uninvited mail after all.  Funny thing though..I haven't un-subscribed from many - where I had the choice.  Partly that's because these Media companies handle advertising and advertorial (yuk, what a terrible word) for an astounding range of arts and cultural stuff and I find it fascinating. And of course the other reason is much more basic and shallow...what if I miss something really good?

And it's been a right old marathon with CHA.  Not many of us crafters can be unaware that the bi-annual industry convention has just taken place in California.  Enough people go to it from here to make it sound like a really good and glamorous jolly.  And it probably is. But the press releases..oh my.  Turgid. Too long and too many. And they mostly were only applicable to people attending.  I haven't been anywhere near any attending company blogs, looked for new releases or checked out Ranger and Tim Holtz' publicity machines.  I don't feel the need to know what's coming, oddly.  I am more than secure in the knowledge that people like Jenny, The Artistic Stamper and Marion of Sugar and Spice will work out what we'll want and ship it over when they can, and force a trend that makes me need it soon enough.  I want to use the stuff, not look at it longingly on a computer.  I know I'm relatively unusual in this regard, and I know that the people writing the press releases etc don't know that, much less care.  
 Roman Spanish column top.... Sculpture. Relevant to the last paragraph.  Man I'm so cultured.

But (and there's a point to this..and it's coming soon..). How often do you have to receive marketing emails from the same company/person before you stop bothering to look at them?   For me..it's every day. Seriously, I take more notice of the 'once in a while' marketing than I do of the everyday stuff.  Some of the companies that I buy stuff from send emails on a daily basis  - I'm probably missing some sensational offers because I don't read them.  Deramores, Pinterest, The National Lottery, Craftsy, Wowcher.....all have been unsubscribed because they just dilute their interest and impact by mailing too often.

When businesses ask for your email address,do you think twice about disclosing it? Even when they say you can 'unsubscribe at any time'.  Do you consider that they may bore you on a daily basis or just take it calmly in the inbox?  Do you manage your email accounts? Filing, deleting and sorting?  I'm fascinated by the impact of email marketing.  Not that I'm about to start doing it you understand.  It's just the thing that tipped me over into having an opinion today was a press release. That being said, I hope very much for the success of the exhibition of large-scale sculptures by young British artist Neil Ayling. It opens tonight at the Berloni Gallery in Fitzrovia (Margaret Street, London W1, doncha know). Although he'll never understand the impact of his PR firm now, will he?!
Have a lovely weekend.
Have a nice, opinionated weekend!




29 comments:

Leslie Hanna said...

Oh, where shall I begin? I am with you on the CHA thing. I do not need to see things that aren't even on the market yet. I'll wait until I see someone use them, then I'll think about buying what I want. All the OMG LOOK AT THIS stuff makes me just look away.

Topic #2: Not only do I ignore daily marketing emails from the same company (I mean, how can you have a LAST DAY TO SHOP sale every week?), but when I actually DO shop, then get a "did you see this" email the next day? Stoppit. I may never shop there again.

Topic #3: I have purposely NOT given my email address to companies because I know when I want to shop there, and no email will change my mind. Naturally if I shop online they have my email, and those are the ones I tend to either un-sub from or auto-delete so I just never see them. The auto-delete is a nice option so if I DO want to shop there, I can go to my Trash to look for a discount code. I make it work for me. :)

Good luck with your spam management!!! :)

Sue said...

I just unsubscribe if possible, but if it isn't I block the email.

Carmen said...

You aren't unusual at all Julia. In fact I couldn't tell you what's on trend right now or what was the last trend (bunting maybe? washi tape? *shrugs*) I don't know manufacturer names apart from my favourite paints - I don't know what most mediums do till I come across them in a tute and then have to look it up. I know what I like when I see it and that does me. I can't afford most of the stuff so why torture myself... alright, there is a little bit of window shopping, and sighing now and again but... nah. Don't watch all the hype either. More, pore through my favourite shop sites like you say ;)

I don't get much media emails, just the odd random ones that want me to pimp something or other or place their advertising on my blog... but I don't totally believe that unsubscribe actually works. I did a major overhaul last year. I get loads of spam where I used to enter tons of comps (still enter a few but nowhere near as many) and I always thought, daftly, that I had more chance if I ticked the subscribe box. Now, no matter how many times I tick unsubscribe I still get the same stubborn few through. I just automatically hit 'junk' now.

KatzElbows said...

I have a spam email that I use on mailing lists, so my regular email isn't besieged. And if there's no way to unsubscribe then I pop it in my spam folder and any further emails from them go there. I also try to breath deeply and not stress out. Needless to say, this is the hardest least successful technique!

voodoo vixen said...

I have to agree, if a company thinks emailing me every single day is a good idea... I have news for them, its the biggest put off to shopping with them! I have this theory that sometimes the unsubscribe actually confirms that they are getting through and they keep using your email... ignoring or dumping in the spam folder works in these cases! LOL

Brenda B said...

That's exactly why I have a second email address. I have enough crap and spam to deal with in my regular one. They can email me to their hearts content, I'm secure, not to mention virtuous, in the knowledge that I'll never see it!

trisha too said...

Like Brenda, I have a second e-mail--it's a lifesaver when screening through "real" mail and the "other stuff."

:)

trisha too said...

Oh and heck no, I don't wanna see stuff I can't even buy yet--no thank you, ma'am!

:)

Monica said...

Now safely unglued i enjoyed this post as it expresses my sentiments entirely. We who art, craft and or hobby have no time to daily buy on line. Lets face it I hate to shop period. Iwear old clothes when crafting so I shop when some thing special comes up. There are people who shop all the time on and off line. They need a life!!!

Paper Sewn Visions said...

Well I am another that totally agrees with you. I want to be able to see it in person to decide if I can use it some how and if it's worth it to spend so much money on a product because I am not rich. I unsubscribe or block the ones that e-mail every day. Drives me nuts. One of the other things that really bugs me is that you seem to see the same people on several design teams especially the big named sponsored teams. I am sure that if I got all the new products for free I could do some exceptional work too. I am also sure that there is some talent out there that is really being missed only because they don't have the finances to spend hundreds of dollars on all the new products that have come out. It's so sad because some times it feels like I'm in high school all over again and which clique do I want to try and be a part of. Ok there is my rant sorry.

misteejay said...

I try to manage my emails but at the moment I seem to be having a lot more problems with my blog reading list because of Bloglovin. Folk who have looked at the blog of a follower of a follower of a follower...you get my drift...have bombarded me with ads about every type of insurance that you can think of and kids toys of every description. 30 posts in succession is a bit OTT don't you think and because I don't 'follow' them I can't un-follow or block (if someone knows how I would much appreciate the know-how).
So I'm with you all the way Julia about spam in what ever format it arrives.

Toni xx

Linby said...

Have a look at unroll me.com

Linby x

Kate said...

I'm with you on the e-mails I've just had a new year purge of unsubscribing as it was taking far too long to just look through and delete them all. But, I'm of the opposite view on CHA. I can't wait to look through all the blog posts from Suze Weinberg, May Flaum et al and salivate over all the new supplies that I will have to wait months to get my hands on!!!

~Kate~

Unknown said...

Completely agree with most of the above. I just glace at my mail and keep my finger on the delete button, or put them in SPAM. I usually don't see them again. I try not to get bent out of shape, because, let's face it, how our day goes is usually up to us.

Princess Judy Palmer said...

I always say, "You already have it" when asked for my email at a business whether they really do or not. So many places inundate you with emails--some daily. I unsubscribe to them just based on sheer bulk of mail alone. They don't influence me to buy so why bother getting it sent to me? I think I wrote a post (or maybe it was a FB status) about all the crafting supply sales I got around Christmas. It kind of bothered me, like I'm supposed to only be buying for myself or something. I'm pretty sure hubby, my parents, my siblings, my coworkers and many of my friends want that stuff at all. It reminded me of my little nephew who was quite sure his mother would want a transformer toy for her birthday.

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

I have just discovered that if I delete an advertising message without reading it, Googlemail immediately puts it in the trash bin. My virus checker also learns what I think is trash and files the stuff as it comes in. I do check the trash bins occasionally to make sure I don't miss anything I really want. As far as the CHS is concerned, I switched off after seeing all the hype for that extremely expensive Brother Scan and Cut. It sounded wonderful until I worked out that is was around double the price of my lovely Silhouette Cameo, and, as far as I could see, didn't do anything the Cameo didn't do that I really needed. The same applied to those Spectrum Noir pencils. As far as I could see, they did nothing that our own British made Derwent watercolours and their Inktense pencils did not do, just as well. See, I am opinionated too and I happen to be in the mood for a good stropbox rant. xx Maggie

fairy thoughts said...

enjoyed your opinionated rant and totally agree. but half the time I cant be bothered to unsubscribe. I just had to look at todays junk mail the best one was for proactive blackhead dissolving gel..... I definitely don't remember signing up for that one.
janet

fairy thoughts said...

enjoyed your opinionated rant and totally agree. but half the time I cant be bothered to unsubscribe. I just had to look at todays junk mail the best one was for proactive blackhead dissolving gel..... I definitely don't remember signing up for that one.
janet

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm thrilled that I no longer use e-mail unless it's absolutely necessary. I used to check my e-mail about twice a day. Now that my original e-mail was hijacked, I no longer get messages from advertisers who want me to subscribe to something or try to force their daily opinions on me.

Thankfully, the few (and far between) photos from CHA I've seen came from blogs I read. And since I never buy that sort of stuff anyway, I look in awe, then figure out how to make it my way. Or what tools and techniques I need to make something look as good as the newest and greatest product.

Rant on dear friend. The fact is, you put in a good word for the young British sculpturist (not sure that's a real word) whose art must be special or you would not have mentioned it (grin).

shazsilverwolf said...

Absolutely agree- spamming from companies has the same effect on me as being pounced on by an assistant the second I put a toe over the threshold of a shop! I'm all for staff being attentive- just saying hello, and letting you know they are there if you need them, but not hovering trying to push the products.E-mails are the same, good they let you know they are there, and whatever deals they have, but not on a daily, or more, basis.As I go through my e-mails nowadays, I 'Mark as Spam' anything I don't want , and in future emails from that company automatically goes into the spam folder. I just cast my eye down the spam folder a couple of times a week.Just in case, I might miss something exciting. Hugs, Shaz xx

Carole Z said...

Hi Julia, you aren't at all unusual in your thinkings on all this, I'm with you all the way! I too had no interest in CHA, as you say, those craft companies we trust and use will soon let us know about the quality stuff. As for unsubscribing, I have done this often but find after about a month those that I never subscribed to in the first place, have no interest in at all..find their way back into my inbox! Aaaargh! Carole Z X

Elizabeth said...

Hi Julia, enjoyed your post ... it's nice to know I'm not alone in hitting the delete button on a regular basis. And the CHA thing has become a big bore ... like you, I'm happy to wait until new stuff hits the shops here. Not that I need to have each new collection of paper/stamps/dies/embossing folders that is out there ... my collection of ancient papers is testimony to that. Right, off to check and delete email :) Hugs, Elizabeth xx

April said...

You are so cultured. I am so jealous. :-)
April

Susanne said...

I am so with you on the email thing. Other bad offenders are political organizations. If you support one person's campaign, it seems that your name is then on the list for every politician in the country and they solicit money continually. There are a few smart email engines that actually allow you to choose to receive an email only once month. But most don't understand that they lose when it is an all or nothing proposition. Thank heavens for the delete button.

Winnie said...

I get a lot of that stuff in my email. I now refuse to give my email when asked unless it is something I am looking to do. All stores now ask when I am checking out and it is annoying. My husband uses two email addresses, one is his regular email, and the other one he uses for mailing lists and other stuff. It works well for him. Since I am just a stamper, I don't go to CHA, but do check out Noel Hyman's videos as I like to see demos. I have discovered new people that way and after watching a few, I found two of those crafters and took fun classes when they came to NY. I don't like the craziness of the build up though.

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

ah Julia so agree with you on this gripe.. and yes do unsubscribe to them... daily ones just toooo much!!

.. and yest was really annoyed when want to buy simple digi download they want to know everything about you address, date of birth, etc ..

why?? is is only a digi download that is my gripe, when wanted to buy off Nicecrane yesterday..

..and then they did not show the methods of payment either!!
... second gripe... important from overseas.

- so wont have their junk mail in my inbox, cos I pulled up stumps at
*them wanting too much of my info
*and not giving me enough info :D
Shaz in oz.x

HeARTworks said...

I have 3 email addresses, one I never see, another that I look at if I remember. My primary email address is overflowing! Thank God that gmail added some more gigabytes because I was 98% full!

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