If we get one more email, newsletter or pitch inviting us to an event that costs money we are going to strangle someone. No, we are not looking for freebies. We are demanding that people use language the way it's supposed to be used. Words have meanings, explicit and implicit, and marketers should respect the language they are using.
Today, Thrillist "invited" us to Martini Week. Um, no you didn't. You promoted a two week event to us. In other words, you notified us of its existence. When we show up at one of the 48 lounges taking part in this senseless promotion, we'll have to pay for it. They won't know who we are and they certainly ain't throwing us a party. And we're not singling out Thrillist either - we get "invited" to spend money all the time by everyone from spas to restaurants to events. Well, we're just fed up with this linguistic abuse.
Dictionary definition of invite: (#1) to request the presence or participation of in a kindly, courteous or complimentary way, especially to request to come or go to some place, gathering, entertainment, etc., or to do something: to invite friends to dinner.
The implicit meaning is thus - you are inviting people to something personal and/or free. A party, a wedding, that sort of thing. So to all those people trying to sell us something, stop "inviting" us in the hopes we open your email. You're not fooling anyone. You're only inviting us (see definition #4) to delete your message.
And by the way, "X (insert marketing term) week" means 7 days, max. If you are promoting a week that is longer, there are terms you can use. Fortnight comes to mind. Sheesh!
