Heading to work on Tuesday morning, I found a handwritten note on my doormat addressed to “My Valentine”. Who could have written it? Did I really have a secret admirer? It felt like something from a rom-com.
Beyond the (second class) postage stamp and the cursive scrawl of my address – which I didn’t recognise and should have been a tell-tale sign, as no man has that neat handwriting – there was little information on the envelope to go by.
But when I opened the envelope, I went from bemused to flattered to spooked – and disappointed. The card was also handwritten but clearly marked with the Deliveroo logo. Sod the discounted flowers that I was being offered. How dare they toy with my emotions as part of a marketing ploy?
A quick check on X revealed I was not the only Londoner to be sent such a letter. One confused recipient posted: “S*** myself at getting a handwritten anonymous Valentine… only to open it and it be from Deliveroo???!?!??!”
Sitting on the bus, I started thinking about these other recipients and the potential damage this sort of message could inflict. I am single and this felt like a pretty unkind thing to do to someone who isn’t in a relationship. But what about those who are? I cannot imagine that getting an envelope addressed to “My Valentine” would go down too well in any partnership, inevitably raising suspicions, sparking questions – maybe even arguments – over the identity of the sender.
There are then people who are vulnerable to domestic abuse and violence. In those cases, this sort of unwanted mail could very well endanger people already at risk and do untold damage – especially if the abusive partner doesn’t look beyond the external messaging.
So, too, could it impact those who have been subjected to stalking and toxic relationships. Unsolicited mail is not a welcome surprise – rather, it prompts panic and fear.
I contacted Deliveroo to ask what on earth they had been thinking. It turns out that perhaps they weren’t thinking at all. A spokesperson told me: “We fully appreciate that the copy on the handwritten envelopes for our flower discount promotion was misjudged. Whilst the contents of the envelopes were clearly branded and the copy was inclusive to both those treating themselves or others, we apologise for any upset this promotion has caused and are reviewing our internal processes.”
But for me, the damage has already been done.
It’s not the concept of promoting a service I am against or even the loved-up theme of it all. I am well-accustomed to Valentine ads and marketing. My job involves getting bombarded with endless press releases in the months that lead up to these types of events and, although it’s not my personal experience at this moment in time, I often write about relationships and cute, coupley things. It’s part and parcel of my work… and, well, life. You just have to roll with the punches.
It’s the deception involved with this campaign that bothers me. While people can easily detect a push notification or email promo from a brand, a seemingly anonymous, handwritten letter directed to their personal address is a step too far. I cannot even begin to imagine who thought it up in the first place – or how the plan made it through the many levels of sign-off required from a big brand.
As it stands, I feel far from a valued customer – and I am certainly not inclined to take them up on the offer of a cheap(er) bouquet, however much I love fresh flowers.
Instead, I feel rather mortified and angry – not just for myself, but for anyone unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of this thoughtless PR exercise. It’s just another example of a company chasing pound signs and disregarding people’s very real feelings and situations.
