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Conference turris::womannotes-v1

Title:ARCHIVE-- Topics of Interest to Women, Volume 1 --ARCHIVE
Notice:V1 is closed. TURRIS::WOMANNOTES-V5 is open.
Moderator:REGENT::BROOMHEAD
Created:Thu Jan 30 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 30 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:873
Total number of notes:22329

653.0. "Selling it" by DSSDEV::JACK (Marty Jack) Thu Jan 14 1988 13:43

    Today I got in the mail a catalog from Leggs addressed to
    
    		Secretary to
    		Martin L. Jack
    
    Interestingly enough, it has men's socks and underwear, as well
    as unisex T-shirts and sweats, in addition to hosiery and women's
    underwear.  I wonder why they feel my secretary is going to buy
    me underwear?
    
    In the event comment should spring to mind, the company address is:
    
	    	L'eggs Brands, Inc.
		P. O. Box 748
    		Rural Hall, NC  27098
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653.1SIMUL8::RAVANTryin' to make it realThu Jan 14 1988 14:434
    But, Marty, maybe they are simply taking into account that your
    secretary may be male...
    
    -b
653.2Doesn't really matterSSDEVO::YOUNGERIt's the LAW! 186,000 miles/secondThu Jan 14 1988 20:344
    Whether his secretary is male, female, or other, why would he/she/it
    be buying him underware?
    
    Elizabeth
653.3Burp your boxersXANADU::RAVANTryin' to make it realThu Jan 14 1988 22:169
    Underware? Is that like Tupperware (c)? Hermetically sealed, perhaps?
        
    Rather than ask why the secretary would be buying under-whatever
    for the boss, how come the company is sending mail to the boss on
    behalf of the secretary? (Maybe they want to be sure that everyone's
    secretaries have clean underware - damn! Now you've got *me* doing
    it!)
    
    -b
653.4HmmmmmCAM2::PAPISONYou see what I'm saying.....Thu Jan 14 1988 22:238
    
    Are we getting a little thin skinned???  Mailing list are pretty
    generic, and .1 seems to be jumping to the conclusion that by sending
    mail to his sec this company is implying presents be bought for
    him.  If this is so please see that my secretary is on the mailing
    lists for Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, etc :-)
    
    
653.5Keep DreamingAPEHUB::STHILAIREFood, Shelter & DiamondsFri Jan 15 1988 08:347
    Re .0, speaking as a secretary, hell will freeze over before I ever
    spend one damn cent on any boss I've ever worked for :-).  People
    who make 3 and 4 times my pay and treat me like a maid can take
    care of their own underwear needs.
    
    Lorna
    
653.6SSDEVO::YOUNGERIt's the LAW! 186,000 miles/secondFri Jan 15 1988 09:256
    I understand about the mailing lists being pretty widespread, but
    why does it have to be address to "the secretary of...", rather
    than to either the boss himself, or to the secretary if they have
    her name?
    
    Elizabeth
653.7It comes down to whose names they have access toSTAR::BECKPaul BeckFri Jan 15 1988 10:1413
    re .6
    
    Probably because more "bosses" are on corporate mailing lists than
    secretaries. If a mail-order place wants to target secretaries (I
    always assumed the L'Eggs mailing was intended to be received by
    secretaries for their own purchases), they generally don't have any
    other means of addressing them other than as "Secretary to The One
    We Have On Our Mailing List".
    
    As to why there are male paraphernalia in the mailing - even
    if the assumption is that the secretary is female, it's generally
    the case that the "boss" is not the only male in the secretary's
    life for whom the additional products may be applicable.
653.8Ain't marketing wonderful?SCRUFF::CONLIFFEBetter living through softwareFri Jan 15 1988 10:5812
As an aside on mailing lists: 
 When I worked in ZKO, I had occasion to go down to the local Rdio Shack to
 buy a couple of co-ax connectors for our IBM terminals (back in the days when
 BTS was a product!).

 Some later, in my mailbox at work, I found a radio shack flier addressed to:
		Nigel A Conliffe
		or family residing at
		110, Spitbrook Road,
		Nashua NH.

 
653.9"professional" women get them tooCADSYS::SULLIVANKaren - 225-4096Fri Jan 15 1988 14:186
	Reminds me of the time I attended a workshop for women in
	business.  After the workshop, I received advertisments
	at work for stockings.  Of course with the same error in
	spelling my name as the workshop had.  How professional.

	...Karen
653.10You can sell my name, but you can't sell me.TRCO01::GAYNECappucino anyone?Mon Jan 18 1988 12:2119
    I believe .7 is correct. The company is targetting the secretary,
    not the boss. And I am sure they addressed it to the secretary because
    they are targetting women and making the assumption that most
    secretaries are women.
    
    It is interesting, how general these mail-order sales things get.
    I am male, my first name is Leslie, which can be both male and female.
    So I get a lot of stuff intended for women. I know the stuff is
    for women because I will be addressed as Ms. or Miss.
    
    As an aside, almost all mailing lists can be purchased. If you
    subscribe to any magazine, have gone to any trade show, shown up
    at a "new housing development" where you are kindly asked to sign
    the guset book, chances are your name has been sold to someone.
    
    When ordering a magazine subscription you can request that your
    name NOT be sold.
    
    /Les   
653.11who wears the underpants in this office!3D::CHABOTRooms 253, '5, '7, and '9Thu Jan 21 1988 16:373
    Some people have also been making assumptions about "the boss": after
    all, maybe she wears men's underwear and maybe she doesn't.
                                                             
653.12"sock" it to themEDUHCI::WARRENFri Apr 08 1988 10:5711
    I think Paul had L'eggs figured right.  Not as many companies "bother"
    to maintain lists of secretaries as lists of "executives," so this
    is a way to hit the secretaries...who are, of course, women and who
    are, of course, the purchasers of underwear for their families.  grrr
                                                        
    And I bet it's been a very effective marketing ploy.    
                   

                   
    -Tracy
    
653.13I'm surprised they don't also mail to "wife of"EDUHCI::WARRENFri Apr 08 1988 11:011