What exactly does a birthday mean in the uber-connected world we’re all living in? Well, for me this week it meant an abundance of Facebook birthday messages from friends, near and far, multiple texts with some pretty sweet emojis, phone calls, voice mails (one was mom my singing Happy Birthday - the whole song), a few old-fashioned birthday cards, lunch on a friend and a handful of hugs.

It also meant birthday wishes from my “brand friends” too. But these messages weren’t delivered via Facebook, text, phone or in-person. My brand friends started celebrating my birthday on April 1st in my email inbox. I suppose these friends were smart enough to ask for my birth date and I was weak enough to admit it (they won’t tell anyone my age, right?) 

I think I actually collected more from my brand friends versus my real friends. Don’t worry real friends. I still love you.

Hats off to www.Evereve.com ($25 off $100), www.Anthropologie.com (15% off) for the birthday offers. You’re a couple of my newer, favorite brand friends. We should spend more time together.

Thanks, www.BananaRepublic.com ($15 off purchase), we’ve been brand friends for a really long time. Actually, I got tired of you, but this message was nice and I might come by and say hi.

Thanks, www.Loft.com for the birthday offer ($10 off $50), we met once and I’m okay with us being acquaintances.  

Thanks, www.StitchFix.com for the nice birthday message. I’m not ready to schedule a fix yet, but I do think your shopping concept is interesting. 

Thanks, www.Panera.com, you are so good at giving me surprises. Thank you for the birthday treat!

But where were you, www.Nordstrom.com, www.Amazon.com, www.CharlesPenzone.com, on my birthday? You know me better than most. My bestest real friends were there on my birthday! When I visit your site, you know when I am trolling for a new pair of shoes and then you repeatedly show me those shoes in digital ads at least a dozen times. In fact, I probably talk about those shoes to my real friends. You wash and color my hair every 6-8 weeks and we talk for hours. I’m obsessed with you. You know that my son wants every single Star Wars Lego and what brand trash bags and toilet paper our family uses. You even suggest toothpaste and laundry detergent I should purchase. Why so personal every other day of the year, but you can’t seem to recognize it on my most personal day of the year?

It is a bit of relief that even a monster brand like Amazon hasn’t figured this out (or they don’t want to).

How personal is your brand? Does your brand have a birthday program? How is your brand an authentic brand friend?

Amy

-Account Director, Birthday Girl