F&P award for worst attempt to link company with floods

The Badger says:

05:41pm | 10/01/11

Perhaps you missed this bit Fairsfair

“For the November/December period of 2010, compared to that of 2009, the company has seen an approximate 130% increase in Queensland dryer sales; 100% rise in Victoria dryer sales; and a 52% rise in NSW dryer sales.”

Seeing as you are in Qld, can you remember when the floods started?
Now look at the 2 month period.

Michael says:

07:15pm | 10/01/11

Agree with fairsfair here. I dont see anything untoward from an the F&P article. It merely stats that the period in question saw a significant rise in dryer sales in comparison to the rest of the year and despite the floods managed to keep deliveries on time. If thats what floats their boat then big deal. Nothing to warrant a lash out like this. Other than the article reference was there further info requested to get a balanced view or was it simply easier to have a rant? Mountain out of a mole hill over this one.

fairsfair says:

07:37pm | 10/01/11

It does cut it a bit fine, but it has been raining like a biarch since November, add that to Cyclone Tasha crossing the coast on Christmas day, merging with the monsoon trough - bingo - floods. This hasn’t come about from just a couple of days of rain at the end of December. It was a good couple of months of ground saturation and then continued heavy downpour. And this started in SEQ before Christmas. Then it went north, now it is going south again. So even though the effects of the floods only became apparent at the end of that period and since that time it has still been raining heavily. People are sick of the crotch of their jocks being wet after five days hanging on the line - they are buying dryers. Just one of the joys of living in the tropics!

Leo, I think that they are actually quite justified in saying that as like I said, sometimes when you live in regional areas you have to order this kind of purchase and if F&P are still getting their stock delivered despite the floods and wetseason (ie they may be absorbing the airfreight costs in the interim) they have the right to tell potential customers of this. 

This is the problem - it happened ith Cyclone Larry and Innisfail. It is not just Rocky that is affected peeps. There are heaps of smaller towns that flooded well before Rocky. The highway was cut to the far north well before Rocky. This didn’t only start on Christmas Day.

Leah says:

11:18pm | 10/01/11

I understand Fairsfair’s point, but I do mostly agree with the original article—good on F&P for maintaining service, but Russell seems to be plugging the fact that people have chosen F&P dryers over other dryers and bragging about their increased sales as opposed to this time last year. That’s a bit pathetic.

And yes, I live in a northern regional town that is currently lacking certain goods and services due to the floods.

Reg says:

11:15am | 11/01/11

@fairsfair, I think you might be in my old home town of 42 years and if you are, then you know that every year you’re in for the gray overcast and the clothes mildewing on the clothes-line, but most of the year a dryer is a waste of space. F&P are pushing something that is almost unnecessary except to accommodate the peak periods, but worse, they seek to attach themselves to the generous help organizations.
Now if they’d off-loaded a bunch of free dryers, say a thousand of so, I’d be quite impressed.  I am also conscious of the media exaggeration factor in the Rocky story as old timers are only too aware. Depot Hill is a flood plain and the un-insurable have a vested interest in community support. Just don’t mention that it happens a couple of times in most years. “Flood of Biblical proportions,” what a laugh.

The Hervey Bay Galah. says:

06:43pm | 10/01/11

guy lee hanlon :  Is that right ?  Well then they will have to be good to beat the Federal Labor offer of $1 million towards the Flood disaster appeal . The money is to be dispersed via the Red Cross to those who desperately need immediate financial aid just to exist .

Queensland State Labor government also gave a lousy $1 million to the appeal but then of course , the state coffers are empty because of Labors apalling mismanagement and waste.  So much so the the state lost it’s AAA credit rating.

I suggest you leave the Liberal party alone and concentrate on the lousy Labor government with a load of invective.

kerrie o'rourke says:

07:58pm | 10/01/11

where is the liberal party’s donation to flood victims???

guy lee hanlon says:

08:24pm | 10/01/11

nobody attacks Labor Governments except the mass media.
Its sacrilege! Its unknown!

Ben C says:

10:19am | 11/01/11

Few points here:

1. Since when did this become a political article? (I’m looking at you, guy lee hanlon.)

2. Governments should NEVER be making donations to disaster appeals - this is just a poll-driven popularity stunt. Instead, it should be provided as part of their disaster relief package, with temporary offices set up in affected areas to provide such immediate financial assistance until such time that the area has rebuilt.

Reg says:

11:50am | 11/01/11

I agree Ben, droughts and floods are part of the environment that carries risk and those at risk need to take their own precautions. Governments plan for rescue packages and the community bears the cost as part of their taxation burden.  We never seem to hear of those who turn away assistance on the grounds that they’ve taken all reasonable precautions based on past experience. F&P equate themselves with the price gougers of old with their $10 or $20 for a loaf of bread for those cut off by the floods.  No-one complains after the event ‘cos no-one is listening.

Conrod says:

09:41pm | 10/01/11

Yeah Dams are such a great idea genius. They’ve worked so well for the people of Emerald…..

Janine says:

08:01pm | 10/01/11

That’s not at all what the article says, they are simply pointing out the fact that they have increased sales due to the weather…are you blind???  Nowhere have they used it as a marketing opportunity, they are just stating that they are managing to keep on top of orders etc therefore providing excellent service, not taking advantage…

Paul says:

09:31pm | 10/01/11

@Janine Fisher and Paykel have in the past and will continue into the future to use all forms of marketing “opportunites” in a vain attempt at keeping their brand in people’s minds. Not that its a problem, but knowing that all of the Australian and NZ factories are now gone and the vast majority of F&P products now come from Haier (Chinese manufacturer and 30% owner of F&P) or Thailand (even cheaper labour than China) the quality is at an all time low. They need to keep the brand name flying about because they can no longer use the “quality” angle as that’s just a distant memory now…(not that it ever was quality).
This particular stretch at a marketing ploy is a little tasteless but nothing out of the ordinary for the F&P marketing department, and I would know having been selling electrical appliances for almost 30 years. However not many F&P sold because I don’t want to deal with irate customers about the poor quality appliance they bought from me, so I tend to steer clear…

David says:

09:23pm | 10/01/11

Indeed, too much is being read into this statement by F&P. It’s the article writer who’s tried to throw labels on such as “Red Cross of Whiteware”. F&P isn’t making any such claim. Leo pretty much quoted the entire original article. F&P simply said they’ve had dramatically increased demand in wake of the floods, and have been able to keep up the supply. It wasn’t even a major press announcement, just something that someone looking for something to write about managed to dredge up and write their own opinion of. Stawman here. Unfortunately, a number of commenters seem to have fallen for it.

Argyle says:

03:22pm | 12/01/11

This has to be the best reply yet. Well Elphaba. And guess what, I love new doo dads to!

Confused Fuddy Duddy says:

09:50pm | 10/01/11

I can find no referece to “Noahs Ark deals” on their web site, however that is not the point. If you hire a car from Abel the flood relief gets $2.00, don’t hire a car from Abel the flood relief gts $0.00
So your holier than tou point is?

Alicia says:

10:01pm | 10/01/11

I don’t really understand why everyone needs to use their dryer. I live in Darwin and we’ve had wet weather for the past week or so and my clothes always dry overnight on a clothes horse under the fan without any issues.

Perhaps it’s because we only have two people in the household and fairly small loads but I don’t have a dryer and don’t need one.

Reg says:

11:21am | 11/01/11

I’ll second that. Along with their washing machines and their fridges and their dish-washers. ...oh…and their service.  They really do need to try.

If you’re reading Eric, there’s another example of private industry screw-up.

Bobster says:

11:42am | 11/01/11

Now that’s the sort of argument that could only come from within the public relations industry.