Proctor and Gamble manufacturers, well, a bit of everything, and probably something in everyone's household. Secret Deodorant, Pantene, Dawn, Clairol, Tide...and recently Gillette...etc.

I recently took two surveys, proportedly by P&G, signing up to receive promotions for products from two of their web sites.

Seemed simple enough...name, address, email, age...information required so that they can direct the "appropriate" offers to you. But I wonder, both asked for a rating on whether or not, and how strongly I felt, that married women should COMPLETELY OBEY their husbands.

An interesting question, and one that is frequently debated. Myself, well, being raised in a Mennonite community provides strong feelings, as does regularly counseling and supporting battered and abused women and children. I am intimately familiar with the many facets involved in this question.

But what does this have to do with P&G directing coupons or offers my way?

I was pondering this with a friend, who noted their new VocalPoint program. To quote from their site:

Vocalpoint is a unique marketing brand powered by the Procter & Gamble Company that helps companies do a better job developing products and services that moms care about and want to talk about.

We work with this influential group of moms to help companies in industries that include entertainment, fashion, music, food and beauty. We collect feedback and generate valuable knowledge and insight for our clients through surveys, product sampling and previews of products and services.

Procter & Gamble have offered a variety of freebies to people who enroll in VocalPoint. There is the potential to participate in future programs for new products. Members are promised new products to evaluate, free samples.

What they don't tell you, before you attempt to register, is that they are looking for female moms with chidren living at home between the ages of 5 and 19. Officially. Unofficially, my friend with son, younger than one, was accepted immediately, while another friend, with child age 6, but herself 45, was not.

I checked it out...and confirmed, it accepted a signup for identical information, children, etc., except for the age...seems to be a cutoff around 35 - 40.

So, are offers and coupons not "appropriate" for older Moms? Why are only Moms, not Dad's, included? And, why don't they indicate this before enticing you to provide your personal information?

Granted, they want actual information, not skewed to fit the requirements to get the freebies.

And what are the freebies? No one I know received the free samples, bundle of products or coupons. So far, a dozen flyers to pass out about a new tv show, a dozen recipe cards to pass out advertising a Blender. Product test? No. Coupons? Nope. Free samples? None I've heard of.

P&G indicates this program is to have Moms help with marketing of things Moms like. It appears that it has more to do with P&G marketing what they want to Moms.

I ask again, what does that have to do with receiving special offers? Special offers are, in fact, equivalent to coupons at will: as in "employee at will", there is no LEGAL requirement for ANYONE to receive offers. P&G is within their rights to single out whomever they want. They can provide offers, or they can deny them. At will. In whatever manner they deem reasonable.

Misleading, yes. Reasonable...I have my doubts.