Suing The (Ad) Messenger
ADOTAS — First it was the media’s fault. Now it’s the advertisers fault, at least according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 34-year-old Wal-Mart worker killed on Black Friday.
The lawsuit against Wal-Mart says the lack of security and the frenzy created by “specific marketing and advertising” were to blame for the death.
The worker, Jdimytai Damour, was trampled after opening the doors at a Valley Stream store. Let’s put aside that everyone seems to give mostly a pass to the mob that ran over this man, it’s likely no one will be charged, but blaming a well-run advertising campaign for the death is absurd.
A more reasonable idea, as noted in the Ad Age story, is that in addition to the marketing and merchandising process, stores should have enough stock and should advertise that they have enough so that people don’t feel the need to crowd the stores in the early morning. I don’t know if that would actually work, people’s habits are hard to change, but it’s at least something that could ease the hysteria.
Also named as defendants in the lawsuit were the Green Acres Mall, its owner Vornado Retail Trust, and a security company required to patrol the property.
– Express your opinion, comment below.
Reader Comments.
It’s not appropriate to blame marketers and not people for these actions, but marketers can’t take NO responsibility for the actions of people they spend billions learning how to manipulate…
“Receiving your message, we’re messed with through marketing,
Fancy colors and flashy words impress the victims you’re targeting,
Extended warranties, club cards and money back guarantees,
ALL used like weapons as sponsor overload buries me…”
-The Capitalist Hippie Complex
Even though I’m a professional marketer, I can’t take a hardline stand against this one. This was tragic and all because of idiot consumers. I don’t think the family has any case or any rights other than some kind of settlement with Wal-mart. The fact that he’s a migrant, temp worker makes the lawsuit seem even more like desperate paupers capitalizing this tragedy for money. That’s wrong but that’s on them. Walmart, the mall, the security company should all share in the blame. Marketers shouldn’t, but only because the job of a marketer is to bring people there, not to affect their behavior. If that was the case, then we’d all promise buyers not foot traffic.
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