Land Rover Marketing Cock Up

May 17th, 2007 | Global

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Last evening on arriving home, there was a letter from Land Rover on my mat. I did not open it immediately because I thought it was yet another survey about my new Freelander2. Since taking possession I have received 5 survey packs. Two from LR direct and three from an outsource survey company.

I am touched by Land Rover’s concern that I might not be happy with my new car. But all is well in the state of me and the Freelander2. No ‘alases’ nor any, “I knew the poor old model well and preferred it”. My little motoring world is replete and the butterflies are flitting about among the high grass of my motoring meadow. You can read into what I have written above that all things motoringwise with me, the car and the manufacturer is hunkidori.

Then, I opened the letter and before the end of the 1st line of the opening paragraph, all that goodwill I felt toward Land Rover evaporated. Why? The letter’s opening line reads as follows, “I am writing to inform of a delay in the despatch of your Land Rover Welcome Pack, containing useful information….”

I took delivery of the Freelander2 on 2nd January 2007. It took the Marketing Director how long to let me know? Especially, it took him how long to let me know I should have missed a pack of bumph that:

1. I did not know I should have missed in the first place

2. I do not want to receive a pack of material I will bin without reading

3. They could send me an email with PDF attachments instead of deforesting Norway.

Now I need to drive the car a lot faster and do a lot of off-roading to rebuild that goodwill and faith in the people who designed and munufactured then provided me with a superb vehicle. When will marketers learn that they need not bend over backwards to set an expectation where none is necessary? Or can they?

I think that in this instance I would have prefered it if Land Rover’s marketing crew had not reminded me that I should have received something. Now I will always expect the pack to be waiting on my doormat when I arrive home. If it is not, and until it does eventually arrive, I will begin to curse Land Rover for not delivering on my expectation.