Happy Birthday
Remember when it was your birthday and you used to maybe get a couple of cards in the mail from your grandparents, an aunt and uncle, and maybe your best friend? You might have had a party and invited a few of your friends. There would be cake of course, a few gifts, candles, and making wishes as you blew out the candles.
But that was pretty much it.
Until now. The social media era. The digital era. Suddenly, you are inundated with birthday wishes, coupons, freebies from everywhere. I’m not even talking about all the birthday wishes one receives on facebook. Which by the way is interesting to note that there are two types of people who respond to those facebook birthday wishes: those who send an individual thank you response and those who do a blanket single posting thanking all who wished them a happy birthday. But I digress.
What I am really talking about here is all the emails and text messages you now get from pretty much any company or organization with whom you have come into contact and have given them your birthdate.
Ernie’s birthday was Friday. He received 20 such messages.
His day started with a free drink from Wawa. After picking up his free birthday drink at Wawa, he headed over to CuraLeaf, where they gave him $10 off any order. He then stopped by Fresh Market for his free slice of birthday cake. They then gave him a $10 off next purchase of $60 or more coupon.
Dinner that night was the free pizza from Anthony’s Pizza.
Here’s what the rest of the birthday offers looked like:
Target: 5% off coupon
Boston Red Sox: $10 off a ticket
Chic-Fil-A: Free Dessert treat good though 6/24
Baked by Melissa: Free 100 points
Phillies: Special ticket offer
Diamondbacks: 25% off 2 tickets
Grateful Dead: 15% off official site
And then these companies just sent him a happy birthday text or email, no offers:
Mid-Atlantic Retina
Dr. Diamond
PSU Division of Development and Alumni
TAP Air Portugal
Dermatology Associates
Meridian Bank
Houston Astros
Flagship Surgery of Warminster
Blasek Dentistry
Companies are falling over themselves to wish us a happy birthday. Of course, we know it’s not really about us. It’s about them and wanting to keep their businesses going. Someone in their marketing departments figured out, hey, we have their birthdate. Let’s send them an email or a text and wish them a happy birthday. Doesn’t that make us look like a caring, personal, empathetic company? And won’t that make them like us more and help keep their loyalty?
We see through you guys. We are not so naïve as all that. But give me an offer or a coupon with your birthday wishes? Yes, please! That I will gladly take.
Hmmm…how to get my mortgage company in on this trend?
Happy birthday, Mary. This month’s mortgage payment is on us!
I can only light some candles and make a wish.