Crummy Commercials.

Every year during the holiday season, we gather as a family to watch A Christmas Story. Today’s fortune reminds of a scene in the movie where Ralphie sits close to the radio in the living room, fully absorbed in his favorite show, “Little Orphan Annie.” The announcer’s voice crackles through the speaker, announcing a new secret coded message. With his heart racing, Ralphie feverishly writes down each number.

As the announcement ends, he rushes to the family bathroom, the only room in the house where a boy of nine can sit in privacy and decode Annie's message. Using the hamper as a desk, he sets his decoder ring to B-12 and begins deciphering each letter. Ah-ha! "B!" and then moved to the next. "E!" The first word is "be!" "S." It was getting clear now. "U."  The pressure mounts as Randy, his little brother, begins banging on the door, whining, “Come on, Ralphie! I gotta go!”

Feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders Ralphie bites his lip, determined to unravel the mystery before him. After what feels like an eternity, he finally reads Little Orphan Annie’s message, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” His excitement deflates as he realizes he has been duped by a crummy commercial. Disappointed, he trudges out of the bathroom, ready to face the world again, but perhaps now a little wiser.

With great anticipation, Peg was expecting an inspiring prediction or an uplifting message from her fortune. Instead, just like Ralphie, she got a crummy commercial to return to the restaurant and order more Chinese food. It’s a little self-serving for the restaurant, and although I must admit that if Peg sends me more fortunes, it helps keep this blog project going, it didn’t deliver on its promise of offering clever insights or helpful guidance for the future.

As marketers, we have a responsibility to meet the expectations of prospects and customers without trying to pull a disappointing fast one on them. When we offer a white paper or promote a webinar that claims to offer expert advice but ends up being a thinly veiled sales pitch, it’s a big bummer. When you don't deliver on your promises, you become just as disappointing as today's fortune when it says something crummy like, "Your next Chinese meal will bring you more cookies!"