It takes a lot to get me upset about the way people choose to market their products or services but this week I was confronted with a direct mailing that had me shaking my head in anger. I received a package in the mail with a book inside titled "They Thought for Themselves: Ten Amazing Jews" by Sid Roth. Right away, I read the letter that accompanied the package to see what the catch was. In the letter, Sid writes "if you follow the advice of these ten Jewish people, I believe you will obtain the same results." Upon reading the first couple pages (out of curiousity) I immediately found it to be a book about Messianic Jews and how these 10 Jewish individuals found Jesus, alienated themselves from their Jewish heritage and finally "thought for themselves."
Among the many reasons, here are some key take aways on why this is not an effective marketing campaign.
1. Cloaked transparency - The author, Sid Roth, conceals the true nature of the book in his letter to those he has mailed it to. He gives reasons in the letter as to why he is giving this book as a "gift" but never truly explains what the book is about. Tricky and in my opinion, unethical.
2. Non-Segmented Mailing List - I'm sure someone out there will find this book of interest, but that person is not me. If you want someone to actually read your book, be honest about the contents and send it to the right people. This mass mailing to a group of Jewish individuals will not work because the list has not been segmented to reach potential interested parties. This is interruption marketing at its finest.
3. Irrelevant Information on Cover - The author has an emblem on the cover that says "Over a MILLION copies in print." Well, what is that supposed to mean? This is not relevant information for a potential reader. No one cares how many copies were printed - people would be interested in knowing how many copies were sold. I believe the author expects people to skim over the emblem, see the million number (which is capitalized) and think that represents the amount of sold copies.
Photo below is taken from amazon.com and shows the emblem saying "Over 850,000 copies in print."
Just as a note to readers, I think it's fine to join any religious group you choose to follow but this attempt at forcing people to change their views in a sneaky way is what truly upset me. Feel free to leave comments about this topic. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
18 comments:
proselytizing is offensive, whether marketed "well" or not - it means that someone else thinks they know what i should believe better than i do, and what's more, they invade my space to tell me so.
they are not offering me something that i want or need, but are trying to satisfy their own needs (and insecurities) at the expense of my beliefs.
snake oil salesmen are more welcome!
Thank you for the heads up about this book. You've made some good points and I totally agree. I received this book today unsolicited.
What angers me most about this type of marketing is when companies make stereotypical assumptions about one's race or religion solely based on their name. I know this to be true since I keep religious affiliations private and the few that may be out there are different than Sid's assumption. But the the local orthodox organizations make the same mistake as I keep getting unsolicited mailings from them. They've never learned what the late Tony Randall once said about what happens when you assume...
Sid may have a million copies printed, but I'll be that 99% are going straight to the trash. How great would it have been if Sid used his money to actually help people in need?
You people are hostile and in my experiences only those that are hostile KNOW THAT THEY ARE WRONG. I have always thought that Jews who do not believe in Jesus are ignorant; this book proves just that. Any negative thoughts from you non believes just proves this point more. I am a devout Catholic and I married a Jewish man; not that it matters; EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!
Everything in the book is true.
A few months before he died, one of the nation’s most prominent rabbis, Yitzhak Kaduri, wrote the name of the Messiah on a small note which he requested would remain sealed for one year. When the note was unsealed, it revealed what many have known for centuries: Yehoshua, or Yeshua (Jesus), is the Messiah.
With the biblical name of Jesus, the Rabbi and kabbalist described the Messiah using six words and hinting that the initial letters form the name of the Messiah. The secret note said:
“Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah’s name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid.
This I have signed in the month of mercy,
Yitzhak Kaduri”
Rav Khaduri of blessed memory did not give up being Jewish ; He is not considered to be a Christian even though he proclaimed Yehoshua as Messiah. He is buried in Israel in the Mt. Menuchot cemetery. You can google this and find out more.
Humm. No one can offend you unless you give them permission. If Penn Jillette - known atheist - can put up with proselytizing veiled in all kinds of ways and still think Christians are a-ok, then what's the big deal about one little free book? Jillette has said "If you believe there is a hell and that people could be going there, how much would you have to hate someone not to tell them?"
As for Roth's book...I think I would have re-thought that title to be less condescending.
I find all the zealous posts here to be deeply, deeply amusing. I wonder how many came from the keyboard of Roth himself or his minions?
I just received this book today and I am appalled. If Jeshuah is intended to be the way and the light, what does it say for his ministry that the only way you feel you can deliver his message to us is by pretending the materials aren't Jews for Jesus proselytizing screeds?
My only question is the following, is it true what is in the book?
For all you posting who are Jewish, is it true that the Oral tradition became written into what is now the Talmud? Is it true that you do not read the Jewish Bible on your own? Read Isaiah 53 and let me know what you think. Or is it true that you will have to consult with your Rabbi?
I am just curious if these things are true or not.
I didn't like receiving this book in the mail either (simply because I have a Jewish sounding last name). And he wasted his marketing $'s on me too since I'm not Jewish either. But come on everybody! How different is this mailing from all the other advertising junk we receive in the mail or are subjected to on TV everyday, except that his direct mail campaign is much more poorly executed than, say, the pharmecutical companies who have FAR FAR bigger marketing budgets than Sid. If you don't like capitalism and marketing, move to another country. OR BETTER YET, PLEASE sign up to have your name on a direct mail BLOCK list, call the BBB to complain, and/or stop watching main stream TV, and support PBS (that's what I try to do). If we ALL did this, it would send a BIG message that we're tired of being pestered with this marketing junk, and maybe capitalistic enterprises like Sid's will DO SOMETHING USEFUL WITH THEIR MARKETING BUDGETS instead (like donate food to the hungry or build schools). His tatics are the same as all those christian church networks on TV (except he's moved into poorly executed direct mail) but I don't hear anyone complain about them.
I am now half way through the book. As a Christian I am intrested in what makes a person want to not have Jesus in there life. The Jewish people have had so much pain in there history that the book has opened my eyes to. Also as a Christian I want to make sure that I not be a stumpling block to anyone and keep them from knowing the love of Jesus in there life.I feel that this book will some day help me with talking to someone down the road. I do not know how I was put on the mailing list for this book but am thankful I was.
Sid,
Save the trees. Thousands of books that you're mailing ended up in garbage. Copy that you sent to went to recycle bin though.
The Word Of God is CLEAR " TOUCH NOT MY ANNOITED ONES AND DO NO HARM TO MY PROPHETS, THUS SAYS THE LORD"
My friend down the street who isn't Jewish got one. I wonder if we'll get one too, since it appears she was on the mailing list because of the proximity to a synagogue
Wasteful sending out so many books.
I think it is important for the people reading this to know that Sid did not "waste his money" on these mailings. The money for this project was, is, and is still being donated to the orginization for the soul purpose of reaching out to the lost and confused. This is all done out of love. While the tactics may be a bit misleading they work there are numerous examples of people who were saved and came to know the Lord through this project. Is one life saved not worth all the money in the world?
Jesus is Lord. He was the last and final High Priest, and the last and final atonement for all sins. This is the way that was made by G-d, or God the Father. IF you reject it, just like those Israelites in the desert rejected the commandments of the Lord G-d to Moses, in the book of exodus, you will perish. This is the way G-d, God the Father, made. Sending His son as Emmanuel, Isaiah 7:13-25, and Isaiah Chapter 9:3-7 speaks of this chosen way and messiah even in the Jewish Holy Text, and also prophesied the rejection of the chosen messiah and what would happen to Israel, and it did for over a thousand of years. Many people who do not believe the messiah already came will be duped, tricked into believing that the anti-christ, the false prophet of the devil coming very soon is the messiah, because they did not believe in Jesus. You cannot overcome the truth. Lies are darkness, and when the light shines, the darkness is gone away, but there is false light and much darkness, and all who reject the true light will perish in darkness. The messiah weeps over you! And you spit in His face! The Lord our G-d, God, said,(Luke 13:34,Mathew 23:37) ""O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" These were the words of Jesus, God the messiah in the flesh sent to save us. And you Jerusalem crucified your Lord and denied His name. God in His wrath allowed Israel to be scattered abroad over the earth for a very long time, for you hardened your hearts against Him. (Mathew 16:4)" A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed." Do you realize that Jesus was in the heart of the earth for 3 days after his crucifixion, before He rose again on the 3rd day. As Jonah the prophet was in the belly of the whale for 3 days, so was Jesus in the heart of the earth... Mathew 12:40 "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The messiah came, and you crucified and mocked him, and now you can come to accept Him. And yet even now you reject Him. All who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will live (John 3:5-21)
"5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.g19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
The law was fulfilled through Jesus Christ (Mathew 5:17,8:17, Mathew 21:4-5, Mathew 26:56)And by Isaiah Chapters 7 and 9, the words of the true old testament prophet, you can see that anger of the Lord G-d at people who would reject the way that He made. And all who reject the way through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Yeshua, will perish just as those who rejected the commandments of G-d to Moses in the desert place. You will perish for your rejection of the Messiah. The Lord has Spoken. Let it be done as the Lord Wills in Jesus name, Amen. But let all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Yeshua, as the way that the Lord God be saved also as He has spoken in the scriptures as the way, the truth, and the life, (John 14:6) be saved, also as the scriptures say. The great light came into darkness and was rejected by many for their own love of the flesh and darkness, but all who call on His name in honesty and in truth, believing and receiving shall live. And He offers you this truth today.
Do what I did: take a big fat Sharpie marker and write on the mailer "RETURN TO SENDER" with an arrow pointing to their address. Let them get a million copies back in their mailbox. Feel free to include a brief personal note too, either thoughtful and polite or just a brief F*k off".
It's sad that the authors of the book did not experience Judaism in a meaningful, spriritual, intellectually challenging way during their formative years as I did. But come on- there are plenty of Christians out there. Us Jews make up a fraction of a percent of the world population (largely thanks to past Christian attempts to convert or kill us), so please...just leave us alone.
And why does Sid Roth know that a Jewish family lives at my address? Kind of sketchy. Can someone please give me his address so I can mail him something?
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