Since selling clothes at Penney's a pain,
It has decided to promote a videogame.
Not about style, or colors, or fit,
No, not about merchandise, no, not one bit.
Marketing facts is something to dread:
So here comes an advergame instead.
Entitled "Dork Dodge," it’s snippy and viral,
forwardable, sarcastic, and other things contrivable.
Targeting young adults, it's called brand engagement
inserting somewhat of a broad estrangement:
Between mere name mention and reasons to buy,
the game's about who, and not about why.
"[It's a] lifestyle brand," explains the company exec,
with the hope of branding this useless dreck.
Under the label of entertainment interactive,
Penney wants hours from its customers' lives subtracted
Playing a game neither rewarding or unique,
it seeks to replace consumer interest with pique.
Just because their targets like staring at screens,
doesn't mean that's what Penney's marketing means.
Even though ways to waste time have bloomed,
the utility for branding should not be presumed.
Instead of putting its branding just about anywhere,
why not focus it where its consumers might care?
C'mon now, it's not such a horrible bore
to come up with reasons to visit a store!
Relevance is a quality that can't be avoided,
No matter in what ways new media's exploited.
A game just seems like a long way, I suppose,
To try to convince people to buy your clothes.
I know, I know, I'm dim, and don't understand:
Penney is boldly and creatively positioning the brand.
Just wait until its shareholders wake up and ask why
it chose to waste constomers' time, instead of prompt them to buy.
Jonathan, what a creative post. Thank you for your creativity!
Scott White
Posted by: BIG Kahuna | August 11, 2008 at 10:46 AM