On the plus side, they saved $11.00 by not actually purchasing the images, which they can put towards their advertising budget.
Anixter Runs Fake Coronavirus Marketing Using Shutterstock Watermarked Images
Published Jul 24, 2020 10:58 AM
PUBLIC - This article does not require an IPVM subscription. Feel free to share.
Coronavirus faked marketing is regrettably commonplace right now but Anixter has taken it to another level of absurdity by running watermarked Shutterstock images.
Anixter is marketing a 'SOLUTIONS THAT PROTECT' brochure whose front cover has 2 thermal screening images taken from Shutterstock with the watermarks still superimposed.
Anixter had net sales of nearly $9 billion in 2019 and has over 9,400 employees.
Anixter is well known for not knowing what they are doing in security but could they be this lazy and incompetent?
Of course, this is just one of many faked coronavirus fever marketing, e.g., from Dahua:
If you are going to take some stock image and pretend that your company can deliver magic fever screening, maybe remove the Shutterstock watermark?
Well, Anixter is now part of Wesco, as Anixter's home page screams at you:
Perhaps Wesco can make Anixter less bad?
However, maybe it is fitting that the fake fever camera marketing has gotten so bad that marketers may just say "Screw it, don't even bother to take the watermark off."
Comments (18)
UD
Undisclosed Distributor #1
Jul 24, 2020U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 24, 2020I hope whoever came up with that fake UI never gets a job doing actual design work. That would be so noisy and hard to see on a real product, IMO.
Dwayne Cooney
Jul 24, 2020Incredibly bad... wow.
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Jul 24, 2020Actually, they are demonstrating the latest technology that is able to detect and display who someone works for and the photos happened to be taken at Shutterstock HQ.
UD
Undisclosed Distributor #1
Jul 24, 2020This just in...Shutterstock enters the Temperature Screening Market.
U
Undisclosed #4
Jul 26, 2020this comment was way funnier than my singular Funny vote allows.
so I've added a photo of some guy laughing at your comment with the shutterstock watermark embedded.
I'm angling for a job in Marketing with Anixter/WESCO.
Jorge Lozano
Jul 26, 2020These marketing strategies are so bad for our industry, and it does not help at all.
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Jul 28, 2020In a time where everyone is taking heat (no pun intended) for not doing all their homework, not stepping up and creating original content, and for creating false narratives or outright lying to the public. One would hope that a company as large as Anixter/Wesco would have put together a proper advertisement. wait a minute.....This is also coming from the organization who "never sells direct to end users". My bad.
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Jul 28, 2020I work for a VMS company and sometimes we have people in marketing that put out images that are not technically accurate but they convey the point (at least in a marketing person's mind.) Ideally those will be caught before the piece is published, but unfortunately sometimes they slip through for a variety of reasons (the subject matter expert is on vacation, the marketing team didn't run it through the proper channels, etc..)
However, using the watermarked image is just crazy - even an intern should know better. What professional worth their salt looks at a watermarked image and says "print it"?
Ross Vander Klok
Jul 29, 2020Now that Wesco has finalized taking over/merging with Anixter it will be very interesting to see if there are more things like this from Anixter or less.
I would imagine Wesco is just counting the days before they can start cutting staff due to all the overlap? I don't do business with Anixter much anymore but always had a good experience with them.
JH
John Honovich
Jul 29, 2020Anixter is funny!
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Jul 29, 2020If you can't beat them, then smear them
Does this guy think that IPVM is in competition with Anixter? Does he not realize how bad it looks to have a watermarked image in their ad campaigns? He clearly doesn't know the phrase "if you don't know what you're talking about, keep your mouth shut"
JH
John Honovich
Jul 29, 2020He's an inside sales guy so I am not going to put much weight into what he said but I did find it funny that he tagged IPVM in his post to make it clear he got us.
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Jul 29, 2020Understood - I certainly have had my share of sales guys posting stuff on social media that maybe shouldn't have been posted. I don't hold it against Anixter - it's just interesting to see how people think sometimes.
U
Undisclosed #4
Jul 29, 2020bet you $10 some corporate suit called another corporate suit who called the Inside Sales Manager who then called Mr. Gibbs and banned him outright from any further discourse with IPVM on LinkedIn.
U
Undisclosed #7
Jul 29, 2020We are simply the source facilitating the transaction...
Translation: when we say “SOLUTIONS THAT PROTECT*” we just mean we would like to facilitate a transaction. Read our many disclaimers.
U
Undisclosed #8
Aug 03, 2020"We have plenty of disclaimers in place"
When I read Gibb's post, it only registers with me that Anixster knows they are selling snake oil.
JH
John Honovich
Aug 03, 2020New sales line:
"Nowhere do we say this product actually works, to insinuate otherwise is defamatory!"