Alice carves them up….

September 22, 2009

A few weeks ago, New Media Age published a gossip story about one of Attinger Jack’s clients, Donald Russell (purveyors of gourmet Scottish meat).  The magazine took Donald Russell to task because it had inserted leaflets for its range of meats within Amazon book deliveries.  What, NMA enquired, does quality beef have to do with a book on Parisian couture?

 

Not one to see her clients unfairly berated in the press, our very own Alice Buttling-Smith leapt to the defence of Aberdeenshire’s most famous butcher with a stinging reply.  Here it is in full:

 

I read your comments regarding Donald Russell mail order butchers using Amazon product dispatch for their inserts and failed to see what was so bizarre.  You clearly like everything to fit into very defined boxes, but if they stuck with ‘Meat Lovers Monthly’ their schedule would be somewhat limited.

 

Since when was meat a niche product? Do you feel uncomfortable if a butcher opens next door to a book shop, does Tesco selling CD’s & DVD’s in close proximity to their meat counter send shivers down your spine?

 

The reality is that Amazon customers have a similar profile to Donald Russell customers, they are ABC1 & they purchase by mail order, you will also find them in gardening, women’s fashion & book club PD’s. The product they are selling is not relevant, it is the audience that you are buying. In fact if they were selling similar products then the insert would not be accepted as it would be considered competitive.  This is not as you described ‘a strange coincidence’ – it is called targeting.

 

Ouch.