Mis-targeted marketing

· rants ·

I subscribe to MacUser magazine: a very fine publication for hopeless Mac fanatics everywhere. The last issue came bundled with another magazine called Jack, in a small, paperback sized format. "What's this?", I thought. I read the explanatory letter which was included:

Dear subscriber, Along with your regular issue of MacUser, you'll find a copy of Jack. Why are we sending you a free magazine? Well, we'd really like to know what you think of it. What you like, what you don't like and what we could do better. As a Mac User subscriber you will have more than an interest in design and creativity, so we would like your opinion on Jack. It has an eye for detail and design that will be refreshing to regular magazine readers, especially as Jack's designer has just won Magazine Designer of the Year.

OK, so far, I'm interested. I read on:

Born of frustration with lager fuelled lads mags, Jack is for the more demanding reader. You'll find a mix of content unlike any other magazine: humour, fashion, stunning photography, great writing, irreverence and beautiful women.

By this point, I'm beginning to understand that they have just assumed that I'm a man: I subscribe to a computer magazine, so I must be a man. They would have probability on their side if it was a PC or hi-fi magazine, but all the MacExpos I've been to suggest that the sex ratio of Mac fans is fairly even. Sigh. The 'but she's a girl...' effect strikes again.