Just three weeks after MyPoints’ last press release, they released another today urging shoppers to not wait until the last minute to do their holiday shopping but instead to shop today through their site. They gave examples of some typical purchases, what they’d add up to in points, and what those points could be redeemed for. They mentioned the instant win game, their credit card, and their gift guide.
I’m sorry, but this just smacks of desperation to me. Do you know why a company that has “more than 10 million members” needs to do this much marketing to get sales? Because despite their efforts to keep it on the down-low, word is getting out that they intend to sell the site… and people are doing the rational thing and taking their business elsewhere.
Ever hear of a “lie of omission”? Here’s a good definition: “A lie of omission is to remain silent when ethical behavior calls for one to speak up. A lie of omission is a method of deception and duplicity that uses the technique of simply remaining silent when speaking the truth would significantly alter the other person’s capacity to make an informed decision.” MyPoints, that is exactly what you’re doing by not sharing with the public what was announced to a bankruptcy judge over two months ago.
Why don’t you just throw us a little bone here? Reassure us that, yes, although MyPoints is for sale, you’ll still honor any points we earn on our holiday shopping through your site. THAT would do way more toward generating sales than all of these press releases and marketing gimmicks.
Update, 12/5: MyPoints just hired a company to do their search engine marketing (source here). Outrider, located in St. Louis, MO, is charged with improving MyPoints’ search engine results. I think this confirms my theory that MP is hurting. It’ll be harder for them to get top dollar when they sell if the site is floundering.
