Radio Shack – a great place to pick up electrical odds and ends, other things that one needs in a pinch. Do you need a new cell phone?  Yes, you can stop in and get a phone on AT&Ts plan. Need an RF Modulator (like I recently did to make an older TV work with a DVD player)? Check, Radio Shack, along with its helpful sales folks, can help you out.

So when I stopped in just the other day to pick up my needed item, I was happy to get the usual attentive, helpful service. I find Radio Shack to be very reliable in the area of competent help. And I was feeling quite good that my stop was only take 5 minutes and I would soon be on my way.

It is amazing how quickly my happy mood turned sour after I was attacked by “Lance” over and over again at the register.

I first noticed a huge poster of Lance Armstrong, the esteemed bike racer and multiple time winner of the Tour de France behind the register.  You couldn’t miss it.  He picture was promoting the Radio Shack brand and the items sold in the store, and as Radio Shack sponsors his racing team, Lance was acting as a spokesperson for the company.  I found this….well in-my-face and jarring as I was now entering the Twilight Zone of interruptive marketing. (A single gigantic poster wouldn’t be so bad, perhaps – but read on.)

And an important couple of notes: I certainly have respect for Lance as an athlete, and understand his position as spokesperson for athletic equipment and cancer awareness and fundraising.  But Radio Shack? The connection didn’t jump out at me right away as I did not know at the time I was in the store that the Shack was sponsoring his team - and the materials didn’t make this clear to me.

So my transaction in the store continued as I paid for my item….I then saw the huge jar of Livestrong yellow bands on the counter, and then figured maybe Lance AND Radio Shack were both into cancer research.  I’m wasn’t sure about this until I got home and researched this blog post; there wasn’t any explanation on the counter as to the tie in.  By this point, my friendly Radio Shack Associate had rung up my purchase (which was more than my husband told me it should be…hmm, maybe I should have followed his advice and looked on-line) and I was ready to pay.

I handed my credit card to the associate – and then he told me to “answer the question on the card swiper.” I had never received this instruction before; I thought this was strange. Well, the question was whether I wanted to donate money to the Lance Armstrong cancer research cause.  I found this way of asking very intrusive and is not the way I like to be solicited for money. I was a prisoner – I had to answer one way or another, and couldn’t just simply pay for my item and leave. 

I started shaking my head and felt like I had to say something to the associate. ”Lance is really big at Radio Shack, eh?” I probed. The associate knowingly shook his head.  He nodded as I mentioned I thought it was quite overboard, but I didn’t push it any further.  The look on the associate’s face said it all.  Until I saw a small stack of Lance hardcover books next to my purchases – I hadn’t noticed this before.  “You are even selling Lance’s book?” I blurted out, incredulous.  He shrugged, clearly embarrased, and didn’t quite know what to say to that.

I couldn’t believe that a retail store had the gall to first force a spokes person such as Lance down my throat (as I felt was happening), and then I was blatently hit up for money.  I felt exploited. Never in the process was there a gentle education process to help tell me the story and explain why I should give.  Yes, I am very happy to give money to causes I believe in. Yes, I believe we need more resources devoted to cancer research. But no, I feel like the way Radio Shack marketed to me was not the way to go about it.  Instead of feeling pumped about helping a great cause and being a part of Lance Armstrong’s team, I was very, very irritated.

Marketing campaigns with a celebrity spokesperson can work wonderfully. There are models who showcase makeup brands or haircare products, and these make sense to the consumer as the products showcase the beauty of the spokesperson to an even higher degree. I also remember Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey and others were spokespeople for American Express. Their memorable ads included a tie in as to how the celebrities used the cards and how it was a powerful tool for them.

But Lance Armstrong with Radio Shack? How does this go beyond the Tour de France?  Does Lance shop there?  How does cancer research fit in?  If it is going to work, I need to “get it” without thinking too hard. And please, please tone it down so I don’t feel attacked in the store. Respect my need to receive education as part of the marketing process. It must be more of a seamless communication, that welcomes, tells the story and speaks with the consumer. Shouting at the consumer and interrupting the flow of an otherwise good transaction will not work in a positive way.

And the topper: when I got home, I found out that I had way overspent when I purchased the Modulator. What cost me $29.99 (+ tax) would have cost me $12.99 (including shipping, no tax) on the internet. 

If only I had listened to my husband.

Filed under: Branding, Celebrity Endorsement, Loyalty, Marketing Campaigns, Retail Stores on August 9th, 2010