Marketing Confessions, part 2

Nobody likes junk mail. Mass e-mail stinks. Advertisements can only go so far. It's all insignificant communication, lacking a personal touch.

But everybody likes a fax. There's just something about warm paper that has just curled off the printer... it's like fresh, baked bread for the eyes. It says urgency. It has the feeling of an old fashioned telegram. Faxes make it past the gate-keepers and go to the top of the in-box.

Comments

[Clayton Bell]

I don't know about that. In my office (marketing and PR) we use faxes as a necessity of cumbersome communication when things have to be signed.

A personal fax is one thing. Mass faxing...well, let's just say there's a reason the recycle box is right next to the fax machine in our office.

[Zak]

I don't know either. Faxes? Seriously. Warm paper?

I think more like this. I have to walk in the other room, the ink gets all over my hands, and only half of the fax comes through.

[Kent]

I don't like fax ads. It says,

"Here, you pay for us to market to you."

Paying for paper and ink so someone can spam me makes me dislike the spammer's brand. I am much more forgiving of email spam and junk mail.

[Terrace Crawford]

...unless you work for a media outlet. I was in radio prior to my current position and we were inundated daily with faxes. I was the guy who typically retrieved them as I worked with PSAs. Even though I love your design here, it was all a blur to me due to the volume. You may have success story to tell though!

[Ben Arment]

hmmmmm... good push-back.

[Ben Arment]

But Zak, sounds like you guys need a new fax machine. =)

[gail]

i shred all the faxes that come into our office without even looking at them (granted i am in the business sector and not in a church office where, i am sure, employees are not as ill mannered as me). if something is important it is pdf'ed and sent via email... sorry ben.