7-Eleven may market its alter ego

[yousaf naseer]

7-Eleven may market its alter ego

 

 

12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, March 31, 2007

By MARIA HALKIAS / The Dallas Morning News

mhal...@dallasnews.com

 

Convenience-store humor has been elevated to the peak of social relevance by the long-running prime-time cartoon The Simpsons and its unflappable Kwik-E-Mart clerk Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Ph.D.

 

Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. gets the joke and reportedly is negotiating a promotion to coincide with the release of The Simpsons Movie July 27.

 

That's smack in the middle of the chain's peak sales period for Squishees – ah, sorry, Slurpees.

 

"I can't share details just yet," 7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. But, she said, "we've done promotions with movie studios in the past and are currently in talks with a number of them about their upcoming movies."

 

The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported that if all goes according to plan, 11 7-Eleven stores nationwide would be temporarily rebranded Kwik-E-Marts serving Squishees, Homer sandwiches and Buzz Cola.

[Serge Haitayan]

This is an absolute embarrassment for our Company. I already shared with SEI's leadership  my sentiments and now I want to know if the franchise community feels the same way I do.

The following is why I objected and feel embarrassed to be part of this promotion.

 

1- It is no secret that SEI and the franchise community have been trying very hard to attract to our stores a different clientele than your average "Joe six pack", we want more females  and a more "refined" customer to come in to our stores besides the ones we have. We have to admit also that we failed in that task, we are loosing customer count each year. So what do SEI do, they start a major promotion that will never appeal to any demographic but the "Joe six pack" and  I also believes that this promo will be another reason why we are and will be  unable to attract that different clientele that feels out of place in a 7-eleven because of promotions like this and potraying us like Apu's and our customers like Homer.

2 Both SEI and FZ spend a lot of time defending our Slurpee name , on a daily basis I find myself explaining to kids or parents the we sell Slurpee not Slushee , for SEI to go and promote Squishees in 7-Elevens.

3- SEI and FZ went up in arms years ago when Leno was stereotyping 7-eleven employees and FZ,  for SEI to go and personify that same stereotyping that we all suffer from. Apu should not be the example for new Americans to be compared with and specially not FZ. If "Joe six pack" is proud to be compared with Homer I am not willing to accept to be compared to Apu (PHD). We are savvy businessman running million dollar operations that contributes to society by hiring employees,  paying taxes and participating in a lot of charity fundraising.

4- We are living in difficult times in our country and in our world after 9/11, there is anti immigrant movement in the US , a movement that blames all evil in our country on immigrants mainly against people from the middle or near east (majority of Americans cannot tell the difference between them), we have an obligation as immigrants to reflect our real image to society, one of hard work, way above average in  financial productivity , very highly educated, responsible members of communities etc...

accepting our portrayal of Apu is nothing less of accepting the images portrayed years ago in the US of black people with very black faces, big lips and white teeth, that image is considered racist so does Apu to me. I wonder if we will strike a deal to change Kwik Mart to a 7-Eleven under the new acquistion program.

I cannot immagine any store willing to rebrand to Kwik Mart even for a day. Maybe that franchisee can change his name to Apu for that day too.

I am not bashing the Simpson's but I am criticizing our company 's involvement in this promotion knowing very well that the vast majority of FZ are immigrants.

I am not proud to be part of this promotion, this is my belief I welcome yours.

 

Serge Haitayan

 

 

[Jack Rugen]

Serge,

Many successful "adMen" have made their careers on these types of marketing
strategies. Making fun of oneself is thick in this strategy.

While it is true that many Americans still harbor resentment toward Middle
Eastern cultures, especially Muslims, for the few extremists who have
"hijacked" a religion and used it for their own sinister purposes. These
people are ignorant! But, then again, many more intelligent Americans are
able to differentiate the good from the evil and have been eductaed to the
fact that the majority of Muslims are God-loving, law-abiding and decent
people.

My personal opinion is: making fun of oneself is not only good marketing
strategy, it also tends to bring a pyschology of and knowledge of the
differentt cultures inherit in the American culture in macrocosm and
7-Eleven convenience stores, in microcosm.

I, personally, do not watch the show. But, I assume that "Apu" is a good
man, a decent human being...although he may not be a Muslim. I think you
might be over-reacting to the sensitive nature of thiis.

>Squishees - ah, sorry, Slurpees.

>
>
>
> "I can't share details just yet," 7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris
>said. But, she said, "we've done promotions with movie studios in the past
>and are currently in talks with a number of them about their upcoming
>movies."
>
>
>
> The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported that if all goes according to
>plan, 11 7-Eleven stores nationwide would be temporarily rebranded
>Kwik-E-Marts serving Squishees, Homer sandwiches and Buzz Cola.
>
>
>
>
>>

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