"Cabelas needs your help" survey...?

[m0par]

I'm not much for taking surveys, but I got an email from Cabelas asking to take a survey and offering a chance for a $250 gift certificate.

It started out normal, asking about how much you spend on outdoor stuff, and how much you plan to spend. Then the questions became political and religious.



What does my opinion on Afghanistan, pot, global warming, etc have to do with what Cabelas stocks in their stores?

[johncavh]

i agree look like some odd ?'s

[Roper]

100% sure it came from Cabelas?

[m0par]

No, not sure. The headers sure make it look like it came from them, and the first 6 or so pages of questions were what I'd expect (spending habits on fishing/hunting/camping). Then all of the sudden, this.

I emailed Cabelas asking if it was legit. Haven't heard back. My feelings are that it probably is, but the company doing the survey (opinionworld.com) has some employee getting a kick out of his additional questions.

They're not trying to sell anything, and no personal data is gathered before these questions come up. If it is a spammer, all they are getting is verification that an email address is active.

[A-FIXER]

Well, I see some of the questions as non-self indicting but then you get to the one that ask if your a loner and if you aim to be prepared to bugout and are you suspect to being coaxed into something or by someone, these are the personality type test my old company had us take from time to time ensuring they have deemed SAFE to go into peoples homes and deal with the public in any case if and when I would get these type of questions only answer the ones you want to relate too.

[omaharj]

100% sure it came from Cabelas?

This is the first and most important question.

[m0par]

100% sure it came from Cabelas?

This is the first and most important question.

Hoping to get a response from Cabela's on Monday.

Either they REALLY want to know their customers, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory style, or someone at the survey company is probably pretty proud of himself.

[Mudinyeri]

Hmmm ... seems weird to me.  Every now and then I get a Cabela's receipt with a link to a survey on it, but I've never gone to the website to take the survey and see if they get into stuff like this.

[m0par]

I received a response today:

"This is indeed a valid Cabela's survey that we have sent out."

No comment on the appropriateness of the questions I asked about...

[Rich B]

They're trying to gauge political leanings probably for 2 reasons:
1) It determines the content of their advertising
2) It determines where they advertise


Consider the Dillon catalog:  The content is hot babes and some relatively right-leaning articles.  They understand that most of their customers are right-leaning men.

Cabelas offers a broader range of merchandise than Dillon.  Cabela's is much more than a gun store or fishing store.  Much of their merchandise is for the outdoors enthusiast.  This includes the hunter just as much as the tree-hugging Sierra Club member that hikes in the Pacific Northwest to go birdwatching and do yoga amongst the trees.

They're probably trying to understand who makes up their customer base.  Advertising their boots are the same ones worn by Marines in Afghanistan may not be a good advertisement if they reader doesn't support the war. 

If the majority of respondents doesn't support legalizing marijuana, amnesty for illegal aliens, the war in Afghanistan, etc., advertising on HuffPo or DU wouldn't make sense.  Advertising on Drudge might.