unresponsive companies

Madge

I hope this is the right forum!

Im involved in a group marketing project for college, concerning an Irish subsidiary of a global company. I have to get info for the project, so I have contacted the company a number of times both through email and 'phone, to request could they send out info.
I have received no reply to the emails. The person on the 'phone said they would post me out info. As I had not received the info I rang again. They said they would resend the info. I also requested could we meet with someone and do a very short interview. The reply was "we dont do that". Other people in the group have also talked to the company aswell and have gotten nowhere.
Any suggestions as to what we could do?

Just wondering are all companies from the "we dont give a $hit" school of thought?
Makes me think the whole notion of marketing i.e. give customer satisfaction, is a load of bull.

whiskeyman

whats the company?
Name and shame

Just pick a different company...

Madge

whiskeyman wrote:

whats the company?
Name and shame

Just pick a different company...

Hi whiskeyman the company we have chosen is a well-known confectionery company ... It seems a bit late to pick another, as we have already cleared it with the lecturer. Thing is aswell, we need an official letter stating that the company has agreed to let us use their name.. ya, you can imagine how difficult it is getting that outta them!

eamy

Depending on the info you are looking for, you may be able to do research elsewhere, like internet and old newspapers clippings. Even other companies may hold some info, like the Marketing Institute. If this is a large company, you should have plenty outside sources. But if you really want to get some from within, perhaps go in person, so they can just give you the info there and then instead of sending it. As for interviews, this will be the trickest bit. Find out who exactly works in marketing in the company, and junior staff are generally more forthcoming with informations. And if this doesn't work, pretend to be a potential client, or whatever that will get them talking. The last possible is to contact everyone you know and see if they know anyone who works there.

Good luck!

whiskeyman

Madge wrote:

Hi whiskeyman the company we have chosen is a well-known confectionery company ... It seems a bit late to pick another, as we have already cleared it with the lecturer. Thing is aswell, we need an official letter stating that the company has agreed to let us use their name.. ya, you can imagine how difficult it is getting that outta them!

Would we be talking about a certain company that use a glass and a half of milk in each bar?
If so, I'm sure you've alreaty found this - some handy marketing info there.
As eamo says, it really depend on the info you require.
A lot of information should be available in the public domain.
From experience, a lot of these companies would have a prepared "student/media pack" that they'd send out to any request such as yours.
If they dont have one, they usually try and give students the cold shoulder to be honest.
They'd only really spend time with you if your an investor or a media hound... or perhaps if you knew someone high up
Why exactly do you need to contact them directly?

RainyDay

Madge wrote:

Just wondering are all companies from the "we dont give a $hit" school of thought?
Makes me think the whole notion of marketing i.e. give customer satisfaction, is a load of bull.

You're missing an important point. You are not their customer. Their customer is the person who pays them money. If they are a confectionary company, their customers are the large multiples and the wholesalers.

They may well be from the "I'm not going to end up working late tonight to catch up on the time I gave to that student" school of thought. You really don't have any entitlement to get anything from them.

Madge

whiskeyman wrote:

Would we be talking about a certain company that use a glass and a half of milk in each bar?
If so, I'm sure you've alreaty found this - some handy marketing info there.

Yes whiskeyman... and thanks for the link, thats a very good site.

whiskeyman wrote:

As eamo says, it really depend on the info you require.
A lot of information should be available in the public domain.

You'd be surprised, as their irish website is actually not working :mad:

whiskeyman wrote:

From experience, a lot of these companies would have a prepared "student/media pack" that they'd send out to any request such as yours. If they dont have one, they usually try and give students the cold shoulder to be honest.

I have requested it, and I think they just couldn't be arsed sending it out! as if they had sent it, I would have received it by now.

whiskeyman wrote:

Why exactly do you need to contact them directly?

Well, we need an official letter from company stating that we can use their name.. primary research is needed as well as secondary.
Anyway, thanks whiskeyman for your help- much appreciated

Madge

RainyDay wrote:

You're missing an important point. You are not their customer.

I am. I buy their products. Even if I didn't I'm a prospective customer.
When I eventually complete the project I and my group will be writing to management, informing them of our negative experiences with both the marketing and finance depts. of the company.

RainyDay wrote:

They may well be from the "I'm not going to end up working late tonight to catch up on the time I gave to that student" school of thought. You really don't have any entitlement to get anything from them.

Actually, what I find ironic, is the fact that theres a a section of the english website and also the main global website dedicated to consumer enquiries, there are email addresses, phone no.s etc listed.
It is part of their job to deal with customer enquiries. I mean, altogether we have sent out 10 emails, not one was responded to.
And it is part of their job (esp. considering its the marketing dept.) to give out promotional and general info about the company.

ballooba

Do you realise how many students there are doing a project on any given company at a given time. God knows how many I researched in my time in college.

RainyDay

Madge wrote:

I am. I buy their products. Even if I didn't I'm a prospective customer.

Still missing the point - let me try a 3rd time. Their customers pay them money. You don't. You pay your money to the shop or supermarket. The shop or supermarket pay money to the manufacturer. The shop or supermarket are the customer of the manufacturer. You are not.

Madge wrote:

When I eventually complete the project I and my group will be writing to management, informing them of our negative experiences with both the marketing and finance depts. of the company.

Ooohh they're gonna be quaking in their boots at this one. :rolleyes:

Madge wrote:

Actually, what I find ironic, is the fact that theres a a section of the english website and also the main global website dedicated to consumer enquiries, there are email addresses, phone no.s etc listed.
It is part of their job to deal with customer enquiries. I mean, altogether we have sent out 10 emails, not one was responded to.
And it is part of their job (esp. considering its the marketing dept.) to give out promotional and general info about the company.

Since when is it marketing's job to respond to queries from students? Have you decided yourself that this is marketing's job? I thought that marketing's job was to, well, market the product. And I've never heard any marketing heads considering 'giving out information to students' as one of their top marketing strategies. So the UK & global companies may well have the resources to allow them to deal with such queries, but it may well be that the Irish company don't.

I think you need to get down off your high-horse and back away from the idea that you have some entitlement to a certain level of support from them. If they are willing/able to help you, then that's great. If they have other priorities, then so be it - you'll need to make some other arrangements.

If the best that you can do in gathering this information is sending a few emails, making a few calls and posting on a message board, you're not going to get very far once you leave college and get out into the big bad world out there.

Madge

RainyDay wrote:

Still missing the point - let me try a 3rd time. Their customers pay them money. You don't. You pay your money to the shop or supermarket. The shop or supermarket pay money to the manufacturer. The shop or supermarket are the customer of the manufacturer. You are not.

seriously, you must be trolling. Its consumer demand that dictates whether the shop will actually stock the particular product or not.
Im surprised you're actually visting this forum, as you don't appear to have any knowledge as to what marketing actually is, what its about and who it's aimed at.

RainyDay wrote:

Since when is it marketing's job to respond to queries from students? Have you decided yourself that this is marketing's job?

I didn't say students. I said customer queries. Students are customers anyway. And yes, in this particular company it is the marketing administrators job to reply to consumers queries and send out the student info packs, which as I have said previously they have failed to do so on more then one occasion.

RainyDay wrote:

And I've never heard any marketing heads considering 'giving out information to students' as one of their top marketing strategies.

I doubt it's a 'top marketing strategy' but it is a responsibility of the marketing dept.

RainyDay wrote:

I think you need to get down off your high-horse and back away from the idea that you have some entitlement to a certain level of support from them. If they are willing/able to help you, then that's great. If they have other priorities, then so be it - you'll need to make some other arrangements.

See above reponses.

RainyDay wrote:

If the best that you can do in gathering this information is sending a few emails, making a few calls and posting on a message board, you're not going to get very far once you leave college and get out into the big bad world out there.

Aside from your snide and patronising comments, you have ventured forth no suggestions, just your very unhelpful opinion. You really are a 'rainy day'.

whiskeyman

Madge wrote:

seriously, you must be trolling. Its consumer demand that dictates whether the shop will actually stock the particular product or not.
Im surprised you're actually visting this forum, as you don't appear to have any knowledge as to what marketing actually is, what its about and who it's aimed at.

Perhaps not quiet trolling, but just doesnt grasp the fact that companies have many types of customers.
Not every company is just b2b marketing.
Of course we are their consumers (potential or current).
Imagine there was a public confidence issue with one of their products (like piece of glass found in a choccy bar).
No point reassuring shops and wholesalers. They know sales will plummet and will look at the company to do something about it.
You need to reassure the public... and it's the company that will have to fork out for that. Do you think Tesco would pay PR and marketing fees to re-establish brand confidence in a suppliers stock?
I doubt it.
We may buy the good in Tesco / local shop, but there still is a consumer relationship with the source company and the brand.

Anyway....

Madge, you said you need an official letter so you can use their name.
Use it for what?
It all seems odd you need "approval" just to use their name.
Are you then supposed to gain feedback from them or something?

Madge

whiskeyman wrote:

Anyway....
Madge, you said you need an official letter so you can use their name.
Use it for what?
It all seems odd you need "approval" just to use their name.
Are you then supposed to gain feedback from them or something?

Yeah, we need a letter to basically show we have communicated with the company. The lecturer also would like to know that we have interviewed the company. Im a bit stressed about it, considering I have been trying to communicate with the company for a month now, and no real luck.
TBH, I doubt the lecturer is going to go ringing up 15+ companies to see if the groups have talked to them or not...

whiskeyman

Madge wrote:

The lecturer also would like to know that we have interviewed the company.

Interviewed about what exactly?
What sort of questions?
Bascially, is there anything that you cant find out without actually interviewing someone from the company?
It sounds like ad odd "request" from the lecturer - is this point really vital?
I'd touch base with your lecturer explaining the troubles you are having if so.
Ask him/her if you feel you should pursue them further or just go ahead and collate as much info for the project anyway.

Here's another view - it may actually better to work away on the project and then only make contact once near completion, so you can put some questions on your analysis to the company.

Madge

whiskeyman wrote:

Interviewed about what exactly?
What sort of questions?

The past + current marketing problems they have. Then, we have to analyse them and come up with a solution for said problems. This part of the report is worth 15%. All the other sections are worth 10% & 5% and are straightforward enough. But things like the organisation structure- whos head of the functional depts. could also be in the report- and this info is pretty hard to get. Which is why the lecturer expects us to interview someone in the company.

whiskeyman wrote:

Here's another view - it may actually better to work away on the project and then only make contact once near completion, so you can put some questions on your analysis to the company.

I just checked my email and amazingly I got a reply off the head company. It says they don't do surveys (I had sent them a very short questionnaire), thanks for taking an interest in the company.
Oh well, Im glad I got a reply anyway..

boa-constrictor

Its one of the disadvantages of a booming economy - everyone's too busy to give you any of their time. When I was in college we did a project on a company and they brought us in (3 of us) and sat down and explained what they do, how they train staff, market, operations, all about their ISO 9000 and what they had to do to get it etc. Some chance of getting that level of co-operation these days.

Companies don't even have time for customers these day. I've spent the last 2 weeks trying to purchase a Blackberry from O2 and I might as well be urinating into the wind.

RedorDead

They can be very time consuming. I always try to help students as I remember being in that situation myself once. I set aside time to answer product queries every week, but some of the requests we get for information are completely ott.

No two requests are ever the same either so its not a question of just banging out junk in the post to them.

fintan

Students these days have no imagination!

I have two suggestions

Instead of hitting the marketing department at head office, why dont you try and talk to one of the reps who visits the shops / does deliveries? Go to talk to a few local newagents / supermarkets explain your project and get either contact info for the rep or the time he will be at the shop.


Second suggestion regarding the letter of approval, just fake a letter from the company, take a copy of the logo off the website and do something up. Problem solved. Your lecturer isnt going to check.

RainyDay

Hi Whiskeyman - I've actually a pretty good grasp of different customer types and different customer channels, as it happens. Your 'public confidence' analogy is irrelevant. This isn't a public confidence issue. It's a request from a student. That's why Madge got the response she did.

Hi Madge - Don't shoot the messenger. Clearly, you don't want to hear the hard messages, but they may well be the ones you really, really need to listen to.

Your 'Students are customers anyway' line is irrelevant. The context of your query is a student working on a project. The company does not have any obligation to respond to all such requests for students, whether they are non-customers, future customers or existing customers. It's still just a student project.

If your emails or calls to the company had the same kind of attitude & tone as your posts here, I can understand why you haven't had a response. My 'get down off your high horse' suggestion is probably the best suggestion that you're going to get. But you're probably going to ignore it, yet again.

And what's so bad about rainy day's anyway? Get out in the rain and enjoy it!

Madge

fintan wrote:

Students these days have no imagination!

I have two suggestions

Instead of hitting the marketing department at head office, why dont you try and talk to one of the reps who visits the shops / does deliveries? Go to talk to a few local newagents / supermarkets explain your project and get either contact info for the rep or the time he will be at the shop.


Second suggestion regarding the letter of approval, just fake a letter from the company, take a copy of the logo off the website and do something up. Problem solved. Your lecturer isnt going to check.

Thanks Fintan, they are good suggestions

d-arke

Hey Madge,

firstly, go you for dealing with all that abuse from other posters on this forum.

secondly, by any chance you go to college in Dundalk, the way you talk about your lecturer sounds very familiar to what I had to deal with.

I graduated in 2004, and from May of this year had interviews with the top two players in the retail confectionary market, Cadburys and Masterfoods (subsidiary of Mars Incorporated). I got a job as a rep with one of them (I've since left) so I may be off some help if you want to send any queries to me, I'll help you as best as I can.

Also, I know both companies are looking for loads Merchandisers/Business Developers over the next couple of months so send a CV in and try arrange an interview with them that way. Just make sure you tell them that you have a full driving license. I have contacts details if you need them.

Madge

Thanks d-arke
Have sent you a PM....

RainyDay

fintan wrote:

Second suggestion regarding the letter of approval, just fake a letter from the company, take a copy of the logo off the website and do something up. Problem solved. Your lecturer isnt going to check.

Madge wrote:

Thanks Fintan, they are good suggestions

I suppose that lying & faking are good preparation for a career in advertising or marketing.

Madge

RainyDay wrote:

The company does not have any obligation to respond to all such requests for students, whether they are non-customers, future customers or existing customers. It's still just a student project.

You obviously haven't read my posts. Let me repeat it for you again- the company has a specific info pack to send out to students. And yes it is an obligation of the marketing department to send out such packs when requested. The person I was speaking to said she would send it out. I have now talked to her twice over the course of a month and a half and she said she would send it out each time. To date I have not received either pack.

RainyDay wrote:

If your emails or calls to the company had the same kind of attitude & tone as your posts here, I can understand why you haven't had a response. My 'get down off your high horse' suggestion is probably the best suggestion that you're going to get. But you're probably going to ignore it, yet again.

As regards my experience with this company and their failure to actually do what they said, reply to emails etc I have a right to be annoyed. I have spoken to the lecturer, and she is quite surprised, esp. since the company has a good reputation for dealing with enquiries.

BTW, Your posts reek of bitterness. Did you fail your college career or something?

RainyDay

Best of luck with the project Madge - I'm sure you'll go far in Morketing.

Madge

Thanks Rainy Day. But FYI I have no interest in pursuing a career in Morketing or Marketing.