Target considers blogosphere meaningless

I'm rarely forgiving of arrogant companies who make it pretty clear that they don't give a damn about offending large swaths of people, including members of the blogosphere. Whenever a company or an individual acts like one of the newest mediums through which people get their news and share their views doesn't matter, I don't get mad, I just won't do business with them. And that includes watching their movies or shows, or spending my money in any way associated with the offenders.

The latest company to draw the ire of many bloggers is Target. From today's New York Times:

Target to the blogosphere: you're irrelevant.

That was the message the cheap-chic retailer seemed to convey in an abrupt e-mail message to ShapingYouth.org, a blog about the impact of marketing on children. Early this month, the blog's founder, Amy Jussel, called Target, complaining about a new advertising campaign that depicted a woman splayed across a big target pattern — the retailer’s emblem — with the bull’s-eye at her crotch.

"Targeting crotches with a bull's-eye is not the message we should be putting out there," she said in an e-mail interview.

Target offered an e-mail response:

"Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets," a public relations person wrote to ShapingYouth.

"This practice," the public relations person added, "is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest," as Target refers to its shoppers.

Word of the exchange quickly spread and the blogosphere did not appreciate the slight. "Target doesn't participate in new media channels?" asked the Web site for the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. Target "dismisses bloggers" commented the blog for Parents for Ethical Marketing. "Ahem! So bloggers don't count!" Ms. Jussel chimed in on ShapingYouth.

Could Target, the ever-hip, contemporary retailer, really have such a low opinion of blogs, the ever-hip, contemporary media channel?

Yes, at least for now. "We do not work with bloggers currently," said a company spokeswoman, Amy von Walter, who agreed to speak with this traditional media outlet.

"But we have made exceptions," Ms. von Walter said. "And we are reviewing the policy and may adjust it."

What arrogance. It's public relations 101 in today's super competitive economy - do all you can to attract customers, and don't stupidly and mindlessly offend people who patronize or who could potentially patronize your retail establishments. (Oh, and people who shop in a store are not freakin' guests - how stupid is that? Someone who stays in a hotel is a guest, not someone who goes to Target to purchase Chinese-made crapola for a bargain.)

Nice job being stupid, Target. My money's going elsewhere.