Verizon and the Kin: Poor Marketing Promotes Dangerous Behavior

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Dear Verizon and Microsoft,

I would like to say that I have taken the time to appreciate your newest device, the Kin; however, I have been so troubled by your inappropriate marketing of the product that I can say the uniqueness of the phone itself is no longer of any interest to me.

Originally there was the controversy over the "sexting" commercial which appeared to be Verizon and Microsoft's promotion and encouragement of youth taking sexually explicit pictures and sending them via MMS or email.  It appears the negative publicity you received was enough to discourage you from running the commercial further because it was pulled.  I cannot dictate what consenting adults do with their telephones:  they have to reap their own consequences.  However encouraging youth to do it is utterly irresponsible.

Now, Verizon and Microsoft, you've done it again.  During primetime television last night, a commercial for the Verizon Kin ran which blatantly encouraged dangerous and ill-thought through activity.  The commercial speaks of a young woman "friending" someone she doesn't know on Facebook.  Facebook, themselves, have stated this is a dangerous and potentially troubling activity.  Yet this commercial seems to not only make the statement that it's fun to connect with people you don't know through Facebook, but then you can set up a place, date and time to meet up.

In the commercial, two young girls go to the home of this "Facebook friend" only to find out he's 20 years older than his picture indicates.  In the commercial, the girls have a good laugh about it and send out a text to all their friends letting them know he's a faker.  In real life this scenario could have resulted in a much different ending:  ask Ashleigh Hall, oh, you can't because she died this way.

This is simply poor marketing.  Having seen plenty of Microsoft and Verizon commercials in the past which have been funny, entertaining, and engaging, I would assume there has been a change in marketing direction that was not clearly thought through.  If adults want to make poor decisions about how to handle their personal safety, let them do it on their own without your encouragement.  Whoever the intended audience for this commercial is - it targets young people, and it sends a disturbing message.  In a world where children get abducted after meeting people online, where a college student gets abducted off a couch in a home and gets raped and killed, and where cyber bullying takes place and at times results in death, what favor is Verizon and Microsoft doing by advertising their product this way?  And whoever their ad agency is isn't doing them any favors either.

Until we, as consumers, stand up against such inappropriate marketing, it will continue.  However, if we choose to speak up with both our mouths and our dollars - which is our right as much as it is theirs to air this ad - they will be forced to chance their strategy.  You can choose to say nothing but remember, if it weren't an issue, there wouldn't be related topics already in the news talking about how deadly this behavior can be.

Hey, Verizon - "Can you hear me now?"







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