a peek inside the fishbowl

1 | J.

February 17th, 2009 at 11:14 am

box full of sushi?

2 | The Veg Next Door

February 17th, 2009 at 11:35 am

More cleaning products!

3 | ImogenSky

February 17th, 2009 at 11:37 am

i was going to say more cleaning stuff you’ll never use!

4 | DaniGirl

February 17th, 2009 at 11:46 am

Hmmm, good speechless or bad speechless? Good speechless = brand new laptop and Nikon D700 (okay, a D90 would do it). Bad speechless = another Crockter and Ramble gift pack.

Could you be so unlucky?

5 | andrea

February 17th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Bad speechless. Bad.

As soon as I gather my wits about me a pointed email shall be written.

(Remember, I wasn’t going to mention what I received the first time around. Gah!)

6 | andrea

February 17th, 2009 at 12:13 pm

Someday I would love to receive a box of cameras. Or sushi. Or laptops.

*sigh*

7 | porter

February 17th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

Someone’s playing with your head HAHAHAHAHAHAH! I am laughing even though I totally know you aren’t….and I’m only laughing because I am imagining what you said/did when you opened the box.

8 | words words

February 17th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

OUT THEM!

C’mon. A little public shaming is good for the marketing soul, no?

9 | Mary Lynn

February 17th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

Haven’t got the foggiest idea. Hope it wasn’t anything gross. Can we get a hint or two?

10 | raino

February 17th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

a kid, a house, a lawn mower? throw us a bone.

11 | andrea

February 17th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

Let’s just say I’m having real case of deja vu.

12 | Loukia

February 17th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

Oh, gosh – again?

13 | raino

February 17th, 2009 at 3:38 pm

out with it..
i guess i gotta read back in your blog hun?

http://momofboxer.blogspot.com/2009/02/survived.html

14 | lacoop

February 17th, 2009 at 4:16 pm

You should give it all to St. Vincent de Paul…at least it will get some good use.

15 | LO

February 17th, 2009 at 8:47 pm

A fold up bicycle built for two-with a banana seat?

16 | Robin

February 17th, 2009 at 9:35 pm

It must be a leg lamp. What else do courriers bring in big boxes?

17 | Marla

February 18th, 2009 at 8:34 am

That looks like it would contain two or three hotel-sized shampoo/conditioner/lotion product samples?

18 | andrea

February 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am

The box is so big I could fit a kid in there. Sadly, it was full of a certain brand of cleaning products I would never use.

Last night I sent an email about it to the Toronto-based PR firm which sent it to me. No response yet.

19 | Marla

February 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am

You know what? Why not contact your local newspaper or tv station, or your local version of NOW magazine? This is exactly the kind of story that they’d love to seize hold of for a quick evening news segment or an article in the lifestyles section: There’s a call for a greener earth, the economy sucks, and companies are spending their (and our) money sending unsolicited giantly packaged products to unsuspecting people hoping for free advertising? You know, it’s our dollars that pay for this kind of thing too, whether or not we buy the product – for the gas to deliver it, the roads the Fed Ex driver travels, for the energy to recycle packaging… These companies get tax breaks and their execs make good money; our cable bills encourage their TV ads and we pay the stores they sell in for their shelf space with the profit and mark-up on every purchase made (not just of their product) – a little bad publicity might bring them back in line with good sense.

20 | BeachMama

February 18th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

Wow, twice in less than two weeks! That is pretty remarkable, they must want to sway you in some way or another.

And here I was holding my breath thinking Nikon was handing out freebies… I wish, wish, wish, wish…

21 | vickiz

February 18th, 2009 at 2:34 pm

If you do not receive a contrite response in a timely fashion from the firm who sent you this stuff (after they disregarded your clear and clearly displayed pitch policy), I think you are absolved from being discreet about what you received. *That* will get Brand X’s attention, and your readership will appreciate the insights. I think this particular situation warrants a Kindness Week exemption.

22 | Miss Vicky

February 18th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

I think the second box of crap absolves you from any obligation to be discreet. Gah!

23 | ian

February 18th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

ShamWOW?!?!

24 | DaniGirl

February 19th, 2009 at 8:36 am

Oops, sorry to be indiscreet Andrea. :( The only problem with “outing” them is that you’ll be doing exactly what they want — talking about their products. Not in a good way, but it’s likely the PR firm that will take the fall, not the company itself. I think the donation to St Vincent de Paul is an excellent suggestion.

25 | andrea

February 19th, 2009 at 9:06 am

I think (almost) everyone knows what I received by this point. And I agree with you Dani, I won’t reveal the product(s) I received because talking about them here means I’m advertising for them.

I received a response from the agency yesterday. It was a well-worded apology. I didn’t expect any less from a PR firm. :)

I won’t out the advertising agency. Some of you think they deserve it, but personally I wouldn’t like to be flogged on someone’s personal blog after a massive screw up … would you?

Obviously there was a mix up somewhere along the line. The goods will be donated. We live in a free country. If someone wants to use them they can go right ahead.

Marla’s comment (above) nailed it right on the head. I can’t begin to calculate how many resources were spent sending those two big boxes to me, from Toronto, via overnight express by FedEx. How much fossil fuel? How much idling of the FedEx van? How much manpower? How much time and energy has this all taken?

And on the inside of that box… a collection of overpackaged goods wrapped in crinkly plastic overwrap perched in a basket.

I didn’t mention this, but the basket was the only thing I’ve kept.

26 | The Veg Next Door

February 19th, 2009 at 9:48 am

Overnight Express? What was the big hurry?

27 | Anu

February 19th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Thank You for not revealing the product! I totally agree with you about not mentioning the names of appalling products or company names.