‘Prey’ing on Consumers: A New Kind of Hard Sell

In discussing marketing strategy for Michael Crichton’s new book, “Prey,” Jane Friedman, HarperCollins’s president and chief executive, said the reading public can expect an aggressive campaign.

“They’ll walk into a bookseller,
and it will smack them in the face.”
--The New York Times, Monday, November 11, 2002

But will the purchasing public respond positively to physical assault? We asked other marketing heavyweights for their thoughts.

Kristen McMurtry of Random House’s
Ballantine Books Division:
“It’s an approach that could work for titles like Masochism for Idiots and Beginner’s Guide to Asceticism. Although you do run the risk the target audience will just keep exiting and re-entering the store without ever making it to the cash register.”

Sue Richards of The Gap:
“We think it’s brilliant. We’re already loading v-necks onto a fulcrum aimed square at the door.”

Ben Greer of Burger King:
“We cater to special orders. So we’re going to have customers queue up to be bitch-slapped with whichever sandwich they’d prefer.”

Daniele Mureau of McDonald’s, France:
“It’s been on our Euro Menu’ for a week now. A simple smack – no ketchup or pickles. Our employees are jazzed, though some are giving too many free samples.”

Roger Vorley of Sam Goody:
“We’re just going to poke people in the eyes.”

- Kathryn Casey