I adore Target — I really do — but, man, they’ve had a lousy week.

First, Isaac Mizrahi abandoned them for Liz Claiborne. Not a big deal for Manhattanites, but for most of the country, Mizrahi’s Target line has been a staple of affordable, stylish business clothes. And his Target sheet sets and bathroom accoutrements were cute, too.

Target’s brand image is built on style. More than price or even convenience, it is the style that attracts people like me. When I needed a black turtleneck sweater a couple of weeks ago, I could have gone to Macy’s (just as convenient as Target) or Nordstrom (I can afford to shop there), but I went to Target and headed straight for the Isaac Mizrahi section, where I found exactly the basic-but-not-plain black turtleneck sweater I wanted.

Mizrahi’s departure poses an interesting communication challenge for Target. Presumably they will replace him, but introducing a designer to fill his $29.99 shoes means giving customers products that immediately appeal without just being poor imitations. Qualitative information here is crucial. Target needs to understand why people buy Mizrahi products—not just who buys them.

You can bet they’ve done focus groups. No matter how many M&Ms they’ve consumed behind one-way glass, though, basing their PR program on this data will guarantee failure. They need a broader base of feedback; they need to interact with a consumer panel that is representative of us all.

My advice…? Take that vast e-mail list you have, Targeteers, a segment like your life depends on it. Then, invite a few hundred folks to really interact with you. Ask them questions and listen to their answers. Create a password-protected forum where we can explain exactly why we loved Mizrahi and what we expect from his replacement. Then, make us your spokespeople—yes, with media.

Oh, wait. I forgot Target’s other PR problem this week. You folks in Minneapolis think your core consumers don’t use the Web. The day after Mizrahi announced he was jumping ship, you told a blogger that you, “do not participate with non-traditional media outlets” because they don’t “reach” your “core guest.”

I’m offended. Not because I blog, but rather because I AM YOUR CORE GUEST, damn.

You send me two to four e-mails every single week. You ask for my reviews on your site. You tell me that certain products are only available online.

So what makes you think that blogs don’t reach me?

The truth is that this is a classic PR challenge-opportunity. Before you go issuing a statement about blogs, pause a second. How’s about inviting some bloggers to the Great White North? The proof is in what you do, not just what you say. Heck, you could even give some of your execs blogging forums to talk about your community initiatives, your new facility in India and Mizrahi’s departure.

And about that Mizrahi thing. Blogs could be an ideal starting point for keeping core customers like me loyal so the next time I need a black turtleneck you don’t lose my business to Macy’s.

Erin Mitchell is RLM’s resident expert on Choxie—and all things Target. She’s the editor of this letter, so be nice to her.