The patio set I bought and who the hell cares.

brogan

patioset.jpgSo yesterday I purchased a patio set online. (Not during the working day OR using work computers, as that is not approved by company policy.) Rather unremarkable. Except for the fact that my purchase was promptly and automatically posted to my Facebook page. With my permission, I suppose. This is homage to the fact that many folks keep connected via social media. They share photos, events, activities and the minutia of their lives. As we social beings are wont to do. Instead of casual conversation around the water-cooler, people are staying connected in new and wider ways. No longer is proximity a requirement for intimacy. (Except, of course, for intimacy of a particular sort.) Now all my Facebook friends know I purchased a patio set (and more importantly FROM WHOM) and I didn't even have to tell them myself.

How smart is Overstock.com to understand this way of communication and find a way that uses this social marketing tactic to market themselves? Very. As I said in my twitter comments... "my patio furniture purchase was posted to my Facebook page. Thank goodness I hadn't purchased a vibrator."

OK, I am at that awkward age... no right to be twittering or Facebooking. Old enough to remember marketing on a matchbook yet young enough to comment on marketing on my Facebook page.

So, do you like the patio set? Do you think I care?

Comments

brogan
Jim Tobin (not verified) Says:
Tue, 06/17/2008 - 2:22pm

I DO like it, but did you get the bronze or the green? Is it going on the patio or the grass, since clearly that makes a difference!

~Jim

brogan
Maria Marcotte (not verified) Says:
Tue, 06/17/2008 - 3:05pm

It is going on my teeny tiny wood deck (newly restained and sealed by yours truly) so of course it is the lovely verdi gris shade. I may post a photo of myself sitting out there. Naked.

brogan
Kim Stricker (not verified) Says:
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 9:48am

Interesting. I remember an article I read a while back called "Is Facebook Ruining Christmas?" Basically, consumers were outraged that photos of Christmas gifts they bought for their friends were posted on their Facebook page. Oops! The “Facebook Beacon” automatically captured their personal info during the sales transaction and linked it to their Facebook account - - unknowingly! Is it an invasion of privacy? Should Facebook put up blockers? Perhaps. But, can we place regulations on something we don’t pay into? A service that is free? Hmmmm.

brogan
Iana Dealey (not verified) Says:
Mon, 07/28/2008 - 11:17am

Hey Missy:

Just be sure you don't light your grill next to that newly restained and sealed wood deck. I learned that polyeurothane catches fire rather quickly :)

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