There’s a lot of hype surrounding the time of year we’ve come to call Black Friday. Stories abound about how retailers are opening earlier and earlier (some are even attempting to hijack the Thanksgiving holiday itself!) with all these supposedly sweet deals that await consumers looking for the “bargains of the year.” But are these […]
consumer behavior
What does your customer REALLY want?
A while back we talked about what your customer thinks about all the time. You can click here to revisit that article if you like but the simple thing your customer thinks about constantly is the future. Perhaps not surprisingly, that relates very closely to what your customer ultimately, REALLY wants – A BETTER future! […]
Cause marketing can be a great relationship (just be careful who you marry!)
Here’s a 5 Hour Energy commercial that demonstrates the concept of cause marketing (or cause-related marketing if you prefer that term) at work. As we’ve discussed before, cause marketing is a win-win-win opportunity for marketers (revisit that here if you like). This commercial is almost a walk-through of how cause marketing can affect the consumer’s […]
The color of branding?
Ever wonder what psychology goes into choosing a color scheme for a logo or overall look for a brand? Here’s a link to a short but remarkably detailed discussion on that very subject. Good stuff, well packaged, and worth knowing. Of course, there are also plenty of examples of how completely ignoring convention and doing […]
Would you watch a show called “Six of One?” (Actually, you probably have…)
According to Warren Littlefield, former president of NBC TV and the author of Top of the Rock, the show that followed the antics of six twenty-somethings as they navigated the waters of post-college life was originally called “Six of One” rather than name that is now enshrined in television history and pop culture, which is […]
What does your customer think about all the time?
A very simple answer to the question, “What does your customer think about all the time?” is: THE FUTURE! The customer thinks constantly about the future. In fact, since you’re a customer, too, consider how often “the future” is what you think about. For example, we may be motivated to get an education so we […]
What is your customer REALLY buying?
We may think we’re marketing a “product,” but what the customer wants to buy is a solution. The customer cares less about features (what it is) than benefits (what it DOES for them). Features and facts may help them justify a purchase with logic afterward, but the decision to buy, the benefits they are seeking, […]
What should really be on your mind when you spend? (Hint: It’s what the free market is all about!)
In 2007 we went all out for Christmas and bought a flat screen TV. My wife and I were so proud as we put it above the mantle so it could be the centerpiece of the room. In the summer of 2004 we had looked at plasma televisions that started around $3000 or so, so […]