• Dear Home Depot,

    Posted on July 5th, 2007 by and currently 4 commenting.

    You’re trying. And you really do get points for that. This ‘Share Your Story‘ thing that you’re doing is a nice baby-step into the world of connecting with your customers. And while the site looks pretty and you use the word ‘real’ a lot, you’re still falling way short of authenticity.

    The first thing that jumps out at me is that it’s you (or your ad agency) telling the stories about your customers ” not them telling their stories themselves. The videos look and sound like ads. The copy pushes your products. The photography was obviously done by professionals ” not real people.

    In other words, you’ve created a promotional site and campaign wrapped in a disguise of caring about your customers. It’s not about you, Home Depot. It never was. You’ve got potential, but unless Share your Story evolves into something that people can really sink their teeth into ” until it really has meaning and substance and true engagement ” nothing will change (and that goes for both people’s attitudes towards you…and your bottom line).

  • http://marketingmonster.wordpress.com Michael Morton

    Great post Spike but I have a few questions.

    First, I agree with you that HD should probably pull the ads that are in the middle of the text testimonials.

    But, is it a bad thing that the photography looks professional? If so, why?

  • http://brainsonfire.com Spike

    Thanks for the comment, Michael.

    I don’t think it’s a “bad” thing, but I think it takes away from any attempt to be authentic. It tells me that these stories were engineered to an extent. When a family member takes a snapshot, it’s a completely different feel – and it’s authentic. Professional photography, in this case, let’s me know that it was staged.

  • glynn

    How long will it take for Home Depot customers to realize that Arthur Blank, the founder, and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, has it’s star quarterback that has just been charged with the felony of illegal and brutal dog fighting?

  • Sherri

    I worked at Home Depot, Las Cruces, NM for a few weeks as a cashier. It’s unbelievable how management there takes advantage of employees and customers.

    At this time of the year, the outside temp in the sun is around or over 100 degrees. Home Depot doesn’t have ANY refrigerated or AC in the store.

    Cashiers (and all employees) must work in extremely HOT conditions. Customers must shop in the heat also.

    Everyone complains….Home Depot does nothing.

    Lowe’s has cool air in their entry way. Why can’t HD do the same?

    They hire 4 cashiers, then lose 5. Is there any question why? Not only do cashiers have to contend with the unbearable heat, they must sweep the floors, work at an incredible pace to comply with unreasonable metrics, try to find prices when no bar codes are on items, deal with hot, grumpy customers who have had to stand in lines that don’t move, page employees for various questions and no one responds.

    One customer got so angry with a self checkout terminal that he put his fist through it! Self checkout is a joke….the equipment seldom works.

    I worked in a Chicagoland HD and except for the heat, they treat their employees the same.

    I quit HD to work in a place that is cool and care about employees.