One of my coworkers had brought in coupons for a favorite fast food place and we started extolling the virtues of couponing. In our conversation, she mentioned that when not wanting to cook for the family dinner, her husband now asks, “Where do we have coupons to use?” While we laughed, as one of our market research analysts, she commented about the changing of consumer behavior. “Will consumers go back to paying full price when the economy recovers?” …
Have you read or listened to a book that haunted your thoughts long after you finished it? Recently, I listened to the audio version of The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm by Kenneth Gronbach, and I can’t get some of the things he said out of my head. From a marketing standpoint, this book clearly states the issues that are underlying the economic slump and encouraging the focus on the future. First Haunting Thought: “Gen …
In crazy times, like a stock market plunging and gaining day after day, it is hard not to be overly reactive. One thing doesn’t change, and that’s the value of your database, your list of customers/members. The customer or member information that you have captured in a database is a gold mine. Every transaction performed and communication with the customer/member gives you vital data that can be used to enhance marketing efforts and stretch your marketing budget! Here are some …
By Guest Blogger, Sarah Becker Being in the middle of wedding planning, it is amazing how many companies target women for wedding products and services. Attending a bridal show recently, every vendor had chances to win prizes for my contact information. Everything from a speedy cash company, teeth whitening, real estate agency, Costco, florists, venues, restaurants, dresses and tuxes plus much more. The key was obviously to get my email and address because the vendors know that I’m definitely going …
Consider how social media is our FREE test group! The world of Facebook is ever growing, more users sign up everyday and our opportunity to “market” through social media is increasing. Here are some statistics: Facebook has more than 500 million active users 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day Average user has 130 friends People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook More than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news …
Just when you think you’ve “got it” in terms of consumer behavior and ways to reach people with marketing messages, a shift happens or is that “@#$%” happens? Recently, one of my favorite bloggers, Mitch Joel of Six Pixels of Separation, ran a couple posts about a September 2010 article in Wired with the title, “The Web is Dead.” This gave me a mental jolt because as a marketing consultant, I spend countless hours figuring out ways to reach consumers …
What is your philosophy of marketing? Do you believe it is essential, valuable and requires the commitment of the best professional minds in the organization? Or, is your philosophy of marketing that it is a necessary evil, that anyone can do it with some guidance? The marketing concept is a philosophy. According to the MarketngTeacher.com, “it makes the customer, and the satisfaction of his or her needs, the focal point of all business activities. It is driven by senior managers, …
When studying marketing in college, the description of marketing that has remained my foundation was: “The process of getting a person ready to buy your product or service.” By virtue of building a relationship with someone to get them ready to buy, it is clear that a brand lives or dies according to the attention to this process of “marketing..” Here are three connections to make with consumers to build marketing success: Connection 1 – A person must see, hear …
Have you gone into a Shell branded gas station and found the price on the sign was less than what the pump actually charged you? It happened to me a couple weeks ago and I was shocked when the pump was 10 cents higher in price than on the street sign. Well, I was already at the pump and limited on time to get to the office. Thinking that I had a similar bad experience with the same Shell station, it made me think …
In this crazy economy, things keep changing so quickly that it’s time to create a new approach to using media. I have become fascinated with the claims that traditional media is dead and stumbled upon Deloitte’s fifth edition ‘State of the Media Democracy‘ survey that provides some insights into the use of media by consumers. In their report, the findings were the following percentages of media viability: Television – 83% Magazines – 50% Online – 47% Newspapers – 44% Radio – …