David came home from his Halloween party at school last Friday with a backpack full of candy.
I was kind of surprised, because we weren’t supposed to send anything in with the kids. At the beginning of the year David’s teacher collected “party money” from each of the students. She puts it in a fund that she uses to purchase all the treats for special days through out the year. I think it’s a fabulous idea since it saves me from buying frosting 30 cupcakes, and schlepping them to school.
Apparently some over-achieving really generous parents sent little treat bags for all the kids anyway.
Not that I have a problem with people giving my kid free candy. More for me!
When I went through the candy stealing all the Hershey Bars looking for needles, I discovered one little treat bag bore on it’s ribbon a business card advertising a parent’s business, and offering a discount for their service.
So here’s my question. Is that shameless self-promotion or just really clever marketing?
Moms are the perfect target market for this person’s business, and in a tough economy who can blame someone for doing everything they can to make some extra coin?
On the other hand, do I want to open up my kid’s backpack and find advertising and marketing materials in it?
I’m really not sure how I feel about it. And who am I to talk? I place ads and marketing messages for companies on Mommie Daze from time to time, because I’m compensated for it.
But I’m not very good at self-promotion. I have a hard time telling people about what I do, what my talents are, because I always feel like it’s tacky to talk about yourself that way. I don’t want people to think I’m arrogant. I do it, but I even feel bad about Facebooking and Tweeting links to posts on Mommie Daze, because it seems so, “Look at me!”
Blogging really is nothing but shameless self-promotion, and I’m a conflicted walking contraindication if there ever was one.
I don’t know. Maybe for David’s birthday I’ll send cookies to school with my URL written in frosting across them.
But the kids will eat them, and the parents will never see it.
I’m obviously not a marketing genius.
Seriously though, I just don’t think I could do something like that, and not feel kind of smarmy.
What do you think?
I think that’s shameless. It’s perfectly fine to share a business card while having a conversation with another mom (like while waiting for pick-up, or sitting next to someone at a school concert), but this is cold-sales advertising, especially when parents weren’t supposed to send in anything. Wonder if she dropped business cards in the bags of all the trick-or-treaters that came to her house?
I think you should make a t-shirt for David to wear to school that reads, “My Mom Blogs” with your URL on it. Be more pro-active. Go for it.
Advertising on your child’s treats for Halloween is tacky. Is the intention to lay a guilt trip on the recipient’s parents saying “I gave your kid candy, now give me some business!”?
I wonder if we went trick or treating at this same mom’s house? My kids got a piece of candy in their buckets that had a business card attached!
I think it’s kind of tacky. Unless it was for a service directly related to kids, like maybe a discount on a haircut? But, I’m guessing not.
The thing that makes it feel weird to me is that the teacher said NOT to bring in the treat bags, and they sent them anyways with their business cards. My son came home with bags of goodies (no candies it’s against the school policy to share food), and I would have thought it was super clever to see a Mom business. I would love to support someone like that.
Schools often have policies about this. I wonder if they checked. Did you mention anything to the teacher?
I’m going to say “clever”. And she can probably deduct the candy on her taxes.
The question is…was it “good” candy? If I got a business card attached to some Laffy Taffy, I’d be more inclined to be unhappy than if, say, it was attached to a chocolate bar or Twix.
In other words, I’m easily bribed. 😀
I’m torn. Clever because some people are totally open to that kind of thing and honestly I would have “looked her up online” if I had seen the card. But at the same time I would find it a bit annoying because it was attacehd to something that was intended for my kid.
I’m leaning more towards clever, as long as the business is mom-related. Yes, it’s a treat for the kids, but she knew other moms would be checking the treats for razors and such. The discount makes it less tacky in my opinion as well. Good for her.