A package arrives on your doorstep. You rip it open and experience a rush — it’s all the cool merch you just ordered from Target! Now, imagine you got it all for free.
In fact, there’s a small group of lucky shoppers who have this experience several times a year. Who are they? They’re members of the Hey, Bullseye program, an exclusive club of Target customers who regularly receive free products in exchange for honest reviews on the website.
This news may have you wondering, “Where do I sign up?” But therein lies the rub. Target asks you to join, not the other way around. So how do you score an invite, and what happens if you do? Read on to find out.
What Is Target’s Hey, Bullseye Program?
Hey, Bullseye is Target’s consumer experience platform, which the company uses to help other customers make informed decisions on purchases. Target invites certain guests to review products, and it claims not to influence or edit their opinions as long as they follow the company’s review writing guidelines. These requested reviews appear on the product pages of the site alongside other guest reviews, though they are distinguished with a special label.
How To Get Invited to Target’s Hey, Bullseye Program
So how do you get in? First, sign up for an account with Target, so they have your contact information. Then, start buying products and posting guest reviews.
Target seeks out customers who love to share their opinions on the site’s product pages. If you write lots of helpful, high-quality reviews and often answer questions that other customers pose, you have a fairly decent shot at getting noticed by the folks at the corporate office. Of course, it also depends on whether they have room for more members. And this is one club that people don’t tend to leave.
Past Hey, Bullseye Members Freebies
Hey, Bullseye reviewers receive everything from furniture to clothes to tech gadgets. Though their reviews appear on the Target site, they often post about products on their social media feeds, too. Here are some of the freebies that members have received and what they had to say about them:
Leachco Snoogle Signature Support Pillow
A Hey, Bullseye reviewer named JessieDoll got a free Leachco Snoogle Signature Support Pillow, which is a $60 value.
Hey, Bullseye Review: “This unique multi-purpose body pillow is the mother of all pregnancy pillows and so much more,” she wrote on Instagram. “It’s super comfortable, well made, and it can be contorted into different shapes to fit your specific needs.”
Hearth & Hand Accent Rug
A Hey, Bullseye reviewer named glamamama1 received the Hearth & Hand Accent Rug, which is worth about $150.
Hey, Bullseye Review: “Do you have a room that needs a low-cost RUG refresh?” she wrote on Instagram. “Spring refresh with a beautiful rug from Target. This gorgeous 3’x5’ Woven Grid Wool-Blend Accent Rug – Hearth & Hand with Magnolia is the perfect update. The neutral colors and nubby texture make a big difference. This adds dimension to my dining room and would be lovely in a bedroom or other small space. This would be a great option to brighten up or refresh any room.”
Fluted Kids’ Table Lamp Purple
A Hey, Bullseye reviewer named Brandy O’Neal posted about the Pillowfort Table Lamp, which would have cost her $35 if she bought it in the store.
Hey, Bullseye Review: “This Table Lamp is spot on!” she wrote on Instagram. “It’s exactly what I imagined it to be. The light purple hue and playful design are a perfect fit for my granddaughter’s room, adding a pop of color and personality. Putting it together was a breeze…What really impressed me was how sturdy it feels; no wobbling whatsoever. It seems well-made and built to last…All in all, it’s a great table lamp that I’d definitely recommend.”
JoyLab Women’s High-Rise Pleated Side Shorts
A Hey, Bullseye reviewer named Sharon Bowlby would have paid $24 a pair for these JoyLab Pleated Shorts—but instead, she got them for free from Target.
Hey, Bullseye Review: “I’m obsessed with these shorts!” she wrote on Instagram. “I love how colorful and fun they are, and also how casual and cute. They make wearing workout shorts comfortable, and cool. Love the added biker shirt under the shirt so you don’t have to worry about showing off more than what you want! The fabrics are so soft and smooth, they feel like butter!”
What the Skeptics Say
You may have noticed that all of the reviews above are glowing. Frankly, the vast majority of the Hey, Bullseye reviews are positive, and it doesn’t take a genius to understand why.
A Reddit poster named alamohero was unhappy with some subpar Room Essentials furniture from Target. But several Hey, Bullseye reviewers had given it a 5-star rating. It seemed that the reviewers had obviously been incentivized to gush about the product.
“Not to mention that [Target] selects them based on their review history and shopping patterns, i.e., people who’re most likely to write glowing 5-star reviews in order to keep getting free stuff,” this Reddit poster wrote.
Readers filled the comments section with warnings about not trusting reviews on a retailer’s site. Alamohero acknowledged their point but added, “[I’m] just surprised they’d obviously inflate reviews like that. I’d expect it from a small sketchy website, but c’mon Target do better lol.”
To Target’s credit, more measured reviews do occasionally pop up, like this one about a pair of Heydey earphones, reviewed by a Hey, Bullseye member named Kim:
“The overall style/design is cute and makes them stand out,” Kim began in her Instagram post. “The earphone covers are soft and have a bit of cushion to them. The sound quality was surprisingly clear and even had a bit of bass.” Then she added, “As far as critiques, the headphones are adjustable, but even on the smallest setting they don’t sit correctly for my head shape. Also, the overall construction seems fragile and not very durable.”
That’s about as negative as Hey, Bullseye reviews get, which is understandable. Of course the members of this exclusive club are keeping things positive. If you got in, would you want the free swag to stop flowing your way?
The post Here’s How To Get Invited to Target’s Hey, Bullseye Program appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.