The Rise of the 'Hey You!' Trap: When Business Meets Insincere Friendship
We're constantly bombarded with direct address in our daily lives, from shopping aisles to emails. The phrase "you" has become a staple of modern marketing, but at what cost? For Max Fletcher, it's a line that's been drawn too far.
The technique of addressing customers directly is not new, dating back to the 1888 slogan "You press the button, we do the rest" from Kodak. However, recent studies have shown that this approach can lead to increased engagement with advertisements. But for Fletcher, it feels disingenuous, particularly when considering the context in which direct address was first used.
The Kodak slogan reinforces a false sense of power and patronising tone, especially given the limitations of photography at the time. The same principle applies today, where the real power lies with the device or product being sold, not with the customer. This is why Fletcher finds it irritating when businesses use direct address to make consumers feel special.
In an era dominated by smartphones and artificial intelligence, this approach has become the default style of the ruling class. Even language models like ChatGPT can't resist joining in on the friendly banter, often resorting to saccharine phrases like "Good to see you." It's a shallow attempt at building relationships that ultimately comes across as insincere.
Fletcher admits that this trend has even taken a toll on professionals, who are forced to deal with an onslaught of direct addresses. From the dairy aisle to restaurant emails, it seems like every business wants to be your friend – but at what cost? The line between marketing and genuine human connection has become increasingly blurred, leaving many feeling frustrated and disrespected.
As Fletcher concludes, the "hey you!" trap has reached a point where he'd gladly take a stand. It's time for businesses to rethink their approach and acknowledge that customers are not just valued individuals, but rather paying customers who deserve respect. By doing so, companies can build more meaningful relationships with their audience, one that goes beyond shallow marketing tactics and insincere friendship attempts.
Ultimately, it's time to take a step back and reassess the role of direct address in our daily lives. Can we reclaim this space from businesses and rediscover genuine human connection? The line is clear: enough of the "hey you!" nonsense – it's time for respect.
We're constantly bombarded with direct address in our daily lives, from shopping aisles to emails. The phrase "you" has become a staple of modern marketing, but at what cost? For Max Fletcher, it's a line that's been drawn too far.
The technique of addressing customers directly is not new, dating back to the 1888 slogan "You press the button, we do the rest" from Kodak. However, recent studies have shown that this approach can lead to increased engagement with advertisements. But for Fletcher, it feels disingenuous, particularly when considering the context in which direct address was first used.
The Kodak slogan reinforces a false sense of power and patronising tone, especially given the limitations of photography at the time. The same principle applies today, where the real power lies with the device or product being sold, not with the customer. This is why Fletcher finds it irritating when businesses use direct address to make consumers feel special.
In an era dominated by smartphones and artificial intelligence, this approach has become the default style of the ruling class. Even language models like ChatGPT can't resist joining in on the friendly banter, often resorting to saccharine phrases like "Good to see you." It's a shallow attempt at building relationships that ultimately comes across as insincere.
Fletcher admits that this trend has even taken a toll on professionals, who are forced to deal with an onslaught of direct addresses. From the dairy aisle to restaurant emails, it seems like every business wants to be your friend – but at what cost? The line between marketing and genuine human connection has become increasingly blurred, leaving many feeling frustrated and disrespected.
As Fletcher concludes, the "hey you!" trap has reached a point where he'd gladly take a stand. It's time for businesses to rethink their approach and acknowledge that customers are not just valued individuals, but rather paying customers who deserve respect. By doing so, companies can build more meaningful relationships with their audience, one that goes beyond shallow marketing tactics and insincere friendship attempts.
Ultimately, it's time to take a step back and reassess the role of direct address in our daily lives. Can we reclaim this space from businesses and rediscover genuine human connection? The line is clear: enough of the "hey you!" nonsense – it's time for respect.
It's like they think a simple "you" makes them sound more relatable or something 
I mean, come on, if they want to talk to me, let's just have a convo like normal people do 
Not this insincere "hey you!" stuff that's just annoying 
I'm all for being respectful and building genuine connections with customers, but can we please just ditch the sugary sweet language already? 
It's time to take back our conversations from these marketing machines! 
"Hey you! Come check out our new phone" like I'm some kind of mindless robot 
Newsflash, businesses: just 'cause I'm buying something doesn't mean I wanna be BFFs 
. Can't we just have a nice conversation without all the sales speak? And what's with all these fancy language models that just spew out cheesy phrases like "Good to see you" 
It's like, hello, I just want my coffee, not your friendship 
. Can we please just get back to having actual human interactions 
.
The more I see these phrases, the more I feel like I'm being talked down to or patronized 
.
. And don't even get me started on AI chatbots saying "Good to see you" - it's just cheesy 
. Businesses need to stop using this tactic and start treating us with some respect 
. Maybe then we can have a real conversation about the products we're buying instead of feeling like we're just being talked at 
.
... Using "you" all the time can be super annoying, especially when it feels like businesses are just trying to manipulate us into buying stuff 
And yeah, the whole "you press the button" thing from Kodak is actually pretty cool. It's like, I get to be a part of this amazing machine that can take my photos and do all the hard work for me... it's empowering! 
. and don't even get me started on how it's affecting professionals who have to deal with all this direct address 24/7 
. can't we just have a simple transaction without all the fluff?