|
In Defense of SPAM and Telemarketers
Paul Weber, Entrepreneur Advertising Group
Johnson County Business Ledger
April 2, 2004
Its 6 p.m., dinner is on the table and the phone rings. Would you
like your carpets cleaned? No thanks, I have hardwood floors. You
just won a fabulous free trip. No thanks, I don’t travel much. Would
you be interested in a free siding estimate? No thanks, my house is
brick.
So goes another evening of telemarketing calls in many U.S. homes.
For some, the phone ringing at dinner time is as regular as the
nightly news. In our house, the telephone ring has replaced the
dinner bell to signify the evening meal.
But even with years of dinner interruptions, I must still defend
telemarketers and their right to reach us to buy their goods and
services. And while we’re at it, I might as well defend SPAM and the
right of companies to market via the Internet – whether we invite
them to or not.
It’s at this point that I usually lose my audience by taking this
very unpopular stance, but there’s a method to this madness. As a
marketer, I seldom suggest unwanted telemarketing or e-mails as a
lead generation tool. Not because I think it’s inherently wrong, but
because it’s inconsistent with my clients’ desired image.
The consuming public largely perceives telemarketing and SPAM as
less than reputable. That’s a good enough reason to avoid it. But to
have the government legislate telemarketing into non-existence is
not at all healthy for business or the economy. We already have a
defense mechanism in place to protect consumers. It’s called
capitalism.
There is an economic theory called the “Invisible Hand of
Capitalism” that protects all of us, not only from unwanted
advertising, but also from many forms of scams and rip-offs.
It’s simple – in our economy we react to consumers’ demands, wants
and needs quickly and effectively. If we don’t buy, the company goes
out of business. If there is demand for a product, then we respond
and purchase.
And the Invisible Hand of Capitalism invites wonderful innovation to
help meet these consumer demands. When telemarketing interruptions
escalated, the marketplace developed caller ID and call blocking.
Increasing SPAM resulted in the development of SPAM blockers. When
we got tired of increasing commercial time on TV, savvy minds
created TiVo. The marketplace is full of examples of companies
matching their innovation to our growing demands.
But don’t misunderstand. Not one of these innovations came to market
just because we wanted the convenience. There was a consumer need
and a willingness to buy. If we legislate even the most intrusive
methods of business communication, we risk stifling the very
creativity that developed these products.
There are an equal number of examples of government intervention
that resulted in undesirable outcomes. One only need look at the
airline industry to see an example of when capitalism would have
been a better regulatory control than government.
There are very reputable companies using telemarketing and e-mail as
their primary lead generation tools, selling quality goods and
services. How do I know? They’re still in business. If nobody was
buying, they wouldn’t be.
Government can better serve us, not by regulating telemarketing and
e-mail marketing, but by helping us become better consumers.
Institutions like the Better Business Bureau and Consumers Union are
invaluable in guiding us toward reputable businesses. More money
directed toward consumer education vehicles would help drive
capitalism, not thwart it.
Regulation has a place in our economy. But the power of the
Invisible Hand of Capitalism is often overlooked.
My telemarketing calls during dinner have diminished and I get less
unwanted e-mails these days, largely because I don’t choose to
purchase via these channels. And when the phone rings or my inbox
fills, I rely on my caller ID and SPAM blocker to control the
intrusion. I thank the creative, innovative minds who developed
these tools, yet I defend the right of advertisers to reach out
using whatever means the marketplace determines appropriate.
|