August 31, 2005Fedex - you blew it |
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I just got off the phone with the "Fedex Furniture Guy, Jose Avila: a pink-haired, unassuming software engineer who could quite possibly be the marketer of the year (or at least the hour)
Perhaps it was the Wired article which caused this particular effort to tip, or perhaps Jose's creativity and genuine authentic approach. Personally, I think it's Fedex's moronic and myopic response and behavior that has struck such a chord with the blogosphere and beyond.
If you've been hiding under a rock, here's the story in point form summary:
* Jose moves from California to Arizona
* Doesn't really have the cash to go to IKEA, so in the spirit of creativity and armed with the tagline, "it's ok to be ghetto", he decks out his apartment with Fedex boxes
* Sticks a few pictures on his website and before he knows it, the web lights up with activity and interest...
* Word gets out to Fedex who find Jose's efforts to be a distraction from the development of their next Superbowl spot or a raging debate about the recommended Pantone colors from their next branding logo styleguide.
* Fedex issues a Cease 'n Desist, citing everything from the Digital Millennium Copywriter's Act to Box Theft. Site taken down.
* Jose connects with Jennifer Granick over at Stanford who fights Fedex's imbecilic behavior all the way to the blog. Site back up.
* Avila maintains his position that it's ok to be ghetto and soaks up publicity from Countdown to the Today Show.
This story is unbelievable. It's almost too good to be true. It wholeheartedly underscores everything wrong with marketing and branding today. Corporations have lost touch with their consumers to the point where they're waging war against them. FEDEX is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID and certainly doesn't deserve the business that Jose has given along the way.
He tells me that he's done transactions of about $250 per month with Fedex (which is where he got the boxes from) Interestingly enough, he continues to use Fedex (partly because the boxes are on hand...in fact, he told me that every time he takes a box, it's kind of like the game of JINGA - ROFLMAO) although he is "looking into other options with other brands" - you can't make this stuff up!
So far, he has been contacted by Dormia and High Brow Furniture to furnish his apartment with a mattress and lamp respectively (wonder if it's the same one as in the IKEA lamp commercial?)
Here's my take on this:
1. FEDEX are idiots.
2. 2 lawyers fall off a building. One is short and chubby, one is tall and lean. Which one hits the ground first? WHO CARES! Lawyers have no business meddling in media, marketing, advertising, content etc. - the whole media landscape is stuffed up enough because of them. I only wonder to what extend the Marketing folk at FEDEX and their agency even know about this...and if so, why the hell they haven't jumped in to rescue this golden opportunity from the depths of woulda...coulda...shoulda
3. Following on from this point, FEDEX are morons (just thought I'd repeat it again) They've created a PR nightmare, when in fact they could have pulled off the publicity coup of the century. The could have created an integrated new marketing panacea (and Grand Prix shoe-in) with a slew of executions - from long form content to experiential to communal to interactive to even 30-second spots (SO THERE!)
4. Instead, I'm begging UPS or DHL to contact Jose and create a campaign around him with a simple transplantation of Brown or Red/Yellow respectively
5. Second thought...FEDEX, if you're listening...take a good spoonful of humble pie and admit you messed up. Embrace Jose and recognize him for his passion, creativity and way he went about expressing what your brand means to him. A little bit of self-deprication never hurt anyone and it's not too late to come good. Don't think your consumers don't have a choice....they do and they will leave you in droves and give their business to your competitors. No one wants to do business with a greedy pig...and unfortunately you've come across as nothing but a bureaucratic bunch of bastards.
Final thought...I asked Jose if he had any questions for me. He expressed amazement at how this story hasn't gone away...why does there seem to be such continued interest? I responded and speculated that this is represents the long tail of media, insofar that it has spread through the world at different speeds, using different media, and connected with different people in different ways. It's also an ongoing story...and its very viral nature goes back to its organic evolution, which hasn't gone away just yet...
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Comments
Only one fly in the ointment here - part of the reason that he chose FedEx was the stability of the boxes themselves - so any competitor wishing to get in on the action would have to do something to improve their packaging.
Again, an opportunity, not just a weakness, but it's another step in the process.
Posted by: Tom
To be sure, the answer isn't for UPS or DHL to jump on the bandwagon. This is FEDEX's opportunity to win or lose...Jose chose them - for whatever reason: practical/functional or emotional/loyal.
Fedex needs to ditch the legal eagles and go the humanity route.
Posted by: jJ
Did Campbell's sue Andy Wharhol?
Posted by: Nicky
Arrest this guy!
Posted by: Stan DeVaughn
Do a Google-search on "FedEx". 3 out the top 7 listings are related to this PR debacle. The third listing is actually the FedExfuniture.com site. Another great example of how big brands need to consider how negative PR can be magnified by the Internet over something somewhat insignificant.
Posted by: Steve
Understood, Joe - just addressing your #4 item above. As far as this situation goes, it's been mishandled from step #1 on FedEx's part. That's not to say that this guy has done everything "properly" in respecting a company's rights and naming conventions, but the issue has gotten worse primarily because of the company's reax.
Posted by: Tom
Your podcast (I listened right through, do I get a badge?) reminded me that FedEx's response was a classic 'hunker down' response. I think you missed a trick in the podcast by not recording an attempt to phone FedEx and get a voice response from them. Even a 'no comment' would have been fun. That would have sparked it up a bit.
But frankly, I reckon FedEx's 'Cease & Desist' was excellent PR, because hardly anyone outside a small navel-gazing coterie of bloggers would have heard of the guy if they hadn't done it.
I didn't even *know* they did good, stout, free boxes. Until now. Well done, FedEx PR dept! They weren't complaining about him doing what he did in his house, they were complaining about him bragging about it, so I reckon they came out on top.
Posted by: Andrew Denny
I do work for several online retailers that go through alot of these FedEx boxes for shipping in a year. I remember visiting his website a few years ago and thinking this is creative as heck to have built so much furniture from FedEx boxes like beds, office furniture and a sofa.
I see FedEx's point though that they have a cost associated with those materials and to use them in such a way as they were not intended is the issue. However the amount of attention that it generated could have had a positive spin if FedEx had handled it in a more PR friendly manner. Which they didn't :( What ever happened? Did FedEx drop this or did they press on?
Posted by: John [Platform Beds]
