OT: How to get stupid parents to spend $75 bucks

geoschmo · #1 December 15th, 2005, 09:03 AM

How to get stupid parents to spend $75 bucks on a pair of crappy walkie talkies:

Make it look like a cell phone. Be careful not to actually call it a cell phone, call it a mobile comunicator or something like that. Give it lots of crappy features like a crappy digital camera, and a crappy text message feature that lots of real cell phone have these days. Heavily advertise the fact that there is no charge for "airtime" or "minutes". Be sure not to highlight the reason there is no charge for these things is that it doesn't use the cell system, it's only got a two mile range and can only "communicate" to other "Chat Now" units.

Sit back and laugh while you roll in the dough.

Genius, sheer genius. If I sound snarky it's only because I wish I had thought of it. Nobody ever got rich overestimating the intelligence of the American consumer.

Suicide Junkie · #2 December 15th, 2005, 01:02 PM

Its not so much stupidity, as very borderline false advertising.

When the marketers have sold thier souls to make a buck, regular joes are in trouble.

Strategia_In_Ultima · #3 December 15th, 2005, 01:31 PM

As obviously spoken by a person from Canadia.

Like Geo said, "nobody ever got rich overestimating the intelligence of the American (i.e. US of A, not the entire continent) consumer".

Puke · #4 December 15th, 2005, 02:42 PM

good god man, the Canuks anexed Ohio?!

Raging Deadstar · #5 December 16th, 2005, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Puke said:
good god man, the Canuks anexed Ohio?!

By Jove! They didn't? That's not Queensbury Rules! Why would anyone.... Ok, to be honest I don't really know that much about the state of Ohio to really defend it except it's a "swing state" in the elections, but I'm British

This post has validated everything I learned about marketing from Dilbert (As if passing a business studies exam didn't)

Renegade 13 · #6 December 16th, 2005, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Puke said:
good god man, the Canuks anexed Ohio?!

Subtle, aren't we?

Strategia_In_Ultima · #7 December 15th, 2005, 05:01 PM

In a word? Yes

*****

Quote:

El_Phil said:
On the subject of weird email experiences a while ago I recieved an email demanding to know what had happened to someone's trainer shipment.

Now a few years back me and a mate had set up a free forum just as joke, I forget the exact reason. So after we finished with it it was found by scam merchants who fill it with offers for all sorts of 'genuine legit phone/trainer/Xbox/etc'. So I changed the layout a bit and added a nice motto

"Dodgy trainers and mobiles available since quite recently.
Helping part fools from money since 1999."

And yet I still get the odd email from people who's stuff hasn't turned up or want some info on the stuff advertised. The message I take from this: some people are stupid.

I love the smell of tangible proof. Smells like..... victory.