Not for the faint of heart...
While surfing the net today for news of the latest bailout – plus the fallout from another precipitous drop (-449 pts) in the stock market – I came across a link for a website called ireport.com with a questionnaire asking “What are you giving up?”
A quick poll was prefaced with the following:
“With a struggling economy and rising gas and food prices, many Americans are cutting back expenses to save money.
Tell us what you're giving up. Have you stopped eating out at restaurants? Cut your trips to the movie theater? Left your car at home on the weekdays?”
So as my wife and I were eating out at a new burger restaurant in town I was going on and on about the ramifications of the election, the economy and the impact on our customers – retail garden centers. In order to keep my blood pressure in check I told her I would not be watching the Red Sox tonight, but I knew all along we would be glued to the news trying to gain an insight into what it all means.
What will be the immediate impact to consumers? Simultaneously we agreed it was “consumer confidence”. Of course that confidence is affected by gas prices, hurricanes, and to top it all off… a presidential election.
Of course the next question was, “What do you do if you’re in retail?”
“Advertise” said Ann. Now is not the time for the faint of heart. The important thing is to get the message right. So, what is the right message?
Home, family and friends and the safety and security of what you know. Now is not the time to disconnect from your customers, but rather to reinforce your relationship. When things are tough people will fall back to what they know – home, family and the warmth and comfort that the fall and holiday seasons represent.
The message needs to be personal, meaningful and represent the real value of making the home warm and inviting. It should be an invitation to bring the family, have some fun decorating the house and share the season with you (the retail you).
Reinforce the fact that you are that local business where you’ve always shopped.
With that said, it is more important than ever to get it right, because consumers are going to look for value when they do eat out and shop.
Which brings us back to that new local restaurant - $30 for burgers and diet coke? Wrong. A wine bar at a build your own burger joint? Wrong. This ‘Counter Burger’ was right next door to a Moe’s Southwest Grill so the fact that CB was waitress service right next to the cafeteria style at Moe’s meant another $5 (in tip). Strike three and your out. One and done.
Retailer beware – When consumers are asked “what are you going to give up?” you better make sure it isn’t you and your business. This is just another reason for you to keep close to your customers.
A quick poll was prefaced with the following:
“With a struggling economy and rising gas and food prices, many Americans are cutting back expenses to save money.
Tell us what you're giving up. Have you stopped eating out at restaurants? Cut your trips to the movie theater? Left your car at home on the weekdays?”
So as my wife and I were eating out at a new burger restaurant in town I was going on and on about the ramifications of the election, the economy and the impact on our customers – retail garden centers. In order to keep my blood pressure in check I told her I would not be watching the Red Sox tonight, but I knew all along we would be glued to the news trying to gain an insight into what it all means.
What will be the immediate impact to consumers? Simultaneously we agreed it was “consumer confidence”. Of course that confidence is affected by gas prices, hurricanes, and to top it all off… a presidential election.
Of course the next question was, “What do you do if you’re in retail?”
“Advertise” said Ann. Now is not the time for the faint of heart. The important thing is to get the message right. So, what is the right message?
Home, family and friends and the safety and security of what you know. Now is not the time to disconnect from your customers, but rather to reinforce your relationship. When things are tough people will fall back to what they know – home, family and the warmth and comfort that the fall and holiday seasons represent.
The message needs to be personal, meaningful and represent the real value of making the home warm and inviting. It should be an invitation to bring the family, have some fun decorating the house and share the season with you (the retail you).
Reinforce the fact that you are that local business where you’ve always shopped.
With that said, it is more important than ever to get it right, because consumers are going to look for value when they do eat out and shop.
Which brings us back to that new local restaurant - $30 for burgers and diet coke? Wrong. A wine bar at a build your own burger joint? Wrong. This ‘Counter Burger’ was right next door to a Moe’s Southwest Grill so the fact that CB was waitress service right next to the cafeteria style at Moe’s meant another $5 (in tip). Strike three and your out. One and done.
Retailer beware – When consumers are asked “what are you going to give up?” you better make sure it isn’t you and your business. This is just another reason for you to keep close to your customers.
posted by Sunrise Marketing at
8:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home