My opinion of Spur’s marketing is that it is generally tailored to appeal to whites. I think they should strive to change that because they are ignoring most of South Africa’s population.

I especially loathe their sport related adverts which mostly feature white players.

Those sports players probably don’t even eat at Spur because they can afford to eat at much better establishments.

Spur is a cheap ass restaurant. The people who go to Spur go there because it’s relatively affordable. But people with money eat at classier joints.

Even Saddles is more upmarket than Spur. And Saddles is puke.

As someone woh has no particular axe to gring I was amazed how peoples comments shift according to the previous couple of blogs!

When I read thought the blogs the following became apparent:

- people entered this competition via sms.
- Spur say the numbers were fed into a computer and the winners drawn.
- apparently, 4 probably Afrikaans, probably married, possibly white women were the winners.
- now the pawpaw has hit fan because someone called Richard Catto sees potential racial bias in the outcome. OK, that’s his OPINION.
- since then one winner has replied and her comments suggest that that she is probably white and afrikaans. So what?
- Spurs’ clientele are spread across all races. However, how many of the same clientele even BOTHER to enter competitions. I know my wife and married daughter both often enter these competitions. Neither my son-in-law nor I can be bothered. Is there anything sinister in that?
- Furthermore, would there have been an outcry if all 4 winners were obviously black, males, or from a particular area? I doubt it.
- In over twelve years of having a cellphone I probably have not entered more than 15 competitions. My wife enters that many in a week.
- Does this pattern make the competitions white or racist, or biased?
- As Richard Catto achieved a first in statistics (only passed well in my Stats courses), perhaps he should look at how he got to his answers reached without any statistical data. Are his answers are based on statistics or an opinion. You, the readers of the blog decide.
- Is his opinion racist? I don’t know the man – nor do I have no knowledge of any of the writers of the postings and am therefore not qualified to comment. Nor do I know for sure how Spur structured their competition, nor do I know who or how many entries they had, nor the racial demographics of the respondents. I don’t know how wealthy the respondents are either. Frankly I don’t care.
- I doubt if Spur do either. The competition was not about giving away a prize, but about advertizing a brand and getting feet through the door.
- One other point – as someone who has been involved in market promotion for years, I KNOW competitions CAN be SKEWED to achieve a particilar aim – such as more penetration in SELECTED areas. This can be was done e.g. keeping some areas short of entry forms, and even ensuring that the winning entry was infiltrated into a particular location in a bunch of “normal” entry blanks. Companies do this – any not just in SA. So if you believe that the competition is fair, good for you.
- However as a result of being taken to task on just this (and I this is DISHONEST marketing), many companies (at the advice of statisticians) went the route of just using cellphone numbers – as these give no indication of race, creed, location, age etc.
- Obviously making it R15, say, to enter the competition is going to exclude some entrants (if they bother to read the conditions – I know my 10 year old daughter did not in one case, and cost me over R5000 in calls!). However if anybody has any common sense they will realize that the prizes are being funded by the entrants. The company running the competition makes money from the balance of the monies, exposure of the winners, and additional exposure of the sponsor (food chain). WHO DO YOU THINK FUNDS THE R500000 PRIZE ON WIN-I-KIA?
- We too won one of these competitions years ago – 3 weeks B&B etc in the southern US (I think it was California somewhere), but by the time I’d finished investigating the costs to use our winnings, I came to the conclusion it wasn’t worth it!
- So those who want to see racist bias or otherwise etc in the competitions, or whatever your point of view just realize that it was an excercise that was intended to encourage people to go to Spur. You have the right to vote with your feet – either support or avoid this foodchain. IT IS YOUR CHOICE.
- At the end of the day, Spur ran a competition. In retrospect perhaps there is a fairer way of drawing the winners – I don’t know.

DaveS

I wonder when the penny will drop for Spur and they’ll decide to quit being a whites-only restaurant?

However, I am not pleased with your total lack of courtesy and etiquette in your misuse of the facility to comment on my blog.

You have written two almost identical very lengthy commentaries which are essentially religious tracts.

This is not a place to promote your religion. This thread has nothing at all to do with religion.

WOW, it was to as surprise to read about myself as winner of the SPUR Disney Competition on Google, and all the negative responds towards white woman winning the competition. I really think this is selfish and very judgmental, who are you to judge? Listen to my side of the story and read more about myself on my website http://www.citysearch.co.za . I see this winning as a reward from God! As God is my witness, I do not take part in any competitions, I do not have credit and I have suffered for the sake of His Name (Jesus Christ). How did I win this competition?
We are not regulars of Spur, but treat ourselves once in a while and the kids have their turn to choose the restaurant of their choice. It was at the end of the competition that me and my kids enjoyed a dinner at one of the Spur restaurants, where the waiter brought us some Disney Competition Forms. The kids were very excited and immediately reacted on the sms competition, where after asking me to take part! Believe it or not; I hate competitions! Because God is my only source and He ask of me to not rely on any other god of luck or fortune! BUT after ongoing motivation of my kids telling me that God always answers my prayers and that He will make this attempt true if it is His Will. How could I refuse a statement like this from my kids who had to suffer the consequences of unjustness during 1999 when the Government did not secure payment of his contract and neglect to pay his debt for SANDF Officials Uniforms that my company had designed and delivered? I lost my entire estate due to this negligence, and my family and I had to watch how everything was taken away from us that we had earned through hard labour and honest work!! My kid cried when the auctioneers came and carry out their furniture in their rooms to sell on an auction to make up for bank debts. I have been a excellent client of Volkskas in those days but when tragedy stroke, they just lift their shoulders and said; Oh how unfortunate that this has happened!

Please Don’t make any assumptions of the family being rich and that they could afford this Disney trip. God chose the right Timing; it was when my husband had resigned at Unisa being fed-up to carry the burden of fore father’s mistakes, that we do not agree with, yes we hate what they have done to human beings. I am a freedom fighter just as Oliver Thambo and many others but in the white contexts to the benefit of all. Even though my family and I had to move from a spacious home that we have bought and renovated through the years to a servant’s courtiers at the back of one of neighbors homes for more than a year, with kids that could not understand where their fairytale rooms has gone, I decided to forgive and do everything in my power to do good and to uplift others so that my wounds also be healed, I knew it was not a patch that I went through of the previous oppression that some of my brothers had to endure during the apartheids era. God had woken me one night after I have cried myself to sleep and said that for the sake of His love to all Nations He wants me to endure the pain, but He will reward me in due time! It has been seven years that I had to work myself up and walk in faith and love. I had to change direction from Fashion Designer and Corporate Clothing Manufacturer to Corporate Business Consultant and owner of a National Education College who offers accredited and International courses where I could share my skill and knowledge to those previous disadvantaged. So please before you make any commends about color and gender, think twice of the WHITE freedom fighters, NOT BEING FAMOUS FOR THEIRE ACTIONS but trying to make a difference in their own simple way!

Prayer before sending SMS.
When my kids kept on nagging me to send the sms, I said that I will do it under God’s Protection and His will for us!

I placed my cell phone in my hand and asked the kids to place there hands on top, I prayed and asked God that He is the giver and creator of all Good things and that He know Why I am taking part in this competition, that it is not my dream but the dream of my kids and that He know what they had to endure, knights without food and NOT understanding why thy had to move from the comfort of their lovely room to a scruffy place filled with mice and ants, and I pressed the button to send the SMS.

Do you not believe that God would answer a faithful ladies Prayer, of whom her husband has given up hope for this country and emigrates to Australia, whilst she kept on believing in God promise to bring relieve and victory to this country?

The Disney trip to Orlando was the final Good buy for a family who has been torn apart by faith for our Country South Africa. YOU WANT TO JUDGE AND use ALL kind of strategies of apartheid, color and wealth to question the vitality of the outcome of Spur Competition? IT WAS MY REWARD FROM GOD! And No man can take it away from us! If it was not for my savings we would not have been able to make the trip, but it was a good time for my family to get together again and enjoy each other company. I am not yet convinced in my heart to exit the country and join my husband because God has a mission and message for Africa, I have too much love for my SA people (all Colors) to leave at this time and are the only remaining person of my family. I have no other family apart from a sister and brother, my mother and father has passed away at a very young age. I was born deaf and dumb, was rejected out of twelve schools due to my disability and had to travel through eight boarding schools due to rejections and abuse.

God has opened my ears and touched my tongue in1990 and said as in Jer 1 that He commissions me to speak His word of live over nations.

A dream came true!!
I have taken my kids on a dream adventure to enjoy a holiday of a lifetime before taking them to their father in Australia to live and stay and proceed with their education, whilst I am remaining in South Africa to proceed to make a difference and uplift the people of South Africa, as God has commissioned.

Please think twice before judging an outcome of anything, it is God that is ultimately in control, if we will just start speaking Live and Victory in South Africa, the evil will flee!!!!

Blessings in the name of Jesus Christ!
Ethel Lues (1st prize winner)

“FIND ATACHED DISNEY PHOTO”