She's ticked and she's not buying it anymore
Posted
May 16 2008, 06:33 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
If you want The Frugal Duchess' business, you'd better listen up. In an open letter to consumer-product companies, she says she's fed up with those that mislead, poison, overcharge or downright insult customers.
"Stop filling magazine pages, cyberspace and television airwaves with advertisements designed to make me feel needy, greedy and inadequate," she writes in a guest post at Frugal For Life. For instance: "What's wrong with fine lines around my eyes? I've laughed a lot. I've cried plenty."
She hates what she calls "flavor-of-the-month" clothing. "I hated those tiny bust-hugging, wallet-breaking jackets/sweaters from two or three seasons ago. OMG! Adult women looked as if we had purchased outfits in the children's department," says the Duchess (aka Sharon Harvey Rosenberg).
Stop advertising sales that aren't truly sales. "What's the value of 75% off when a garment has been marked up by 500 to 1,000%?" she asks.
She's no longer buying cosmetics and other personal-care products that contain potentially harmful ingredients. Also, if your product doesn't work, she won't be back. And you can make points with her by getting rid of all the wasteful, unnecessary packaging.
Start using real people in your ads. "I used to weigh about 90 pounds or less, but I've stopped starving myself and I'm not going to buy products from models who make me feel as if I should waste away, skip breakfast or throw up my lunch," she says.
