Who Are You? Hoo-Hoo, hoo-hoo. Now Tell Me Who Are YOU?

By Julie Hein, General Manager

The Who knew.  And Patagonia knows.  It seems they have a pretty good idea who their customers are too.  Check out this Business Week article where Patagonia tells its customers that buying stuff from them should be avoided to protect the planet.  (Note that people didn't listen.  They bought a lot of stuff.  And I'll bet they like Patagonia even more now.)

This shows us at least two things.  The obvious one that the values of this company are in line with the values of their key customers.  The second one in my mind is HOW they said it.  Directly.  As a challenge.  An order.  You can't demand someone buy your product.  But they demanded the opposite.  It surprised Broca, cut through and had the desired effect.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

By Glen Gardner/CEO GG&A

There are times when the cost of doing nothing can be fatal to a business. I meet and consult hundreds of businesses in the course of a year, and in about 10% of the cases they tell me they are just not going to do anything "right now." They tell me they are just going to "wait it out" or pull-back until things get better.

The problem with that attitude is the world continues to move forward while you "wait it out." More than likely your competition, customers and potential customers are not waiting. They are moving forward with you or without you.

Because you are not in a position to spend substantial marketing dollars, does not mean you should wait or do nothing. It does mean you have to be very careful with your resources and be very strategic in how you promote your business.

Not all marketing requires a huge dollar commitment. One of the best uses of time is strategic planning. Developing a marketing plan, even if you have no money, is key to your future success. That plan should include measurable goals and specific timelines that put you in a position to move forward regardless of budget.

Doing nothing is usually a prescription for disaster in business. Just because you are financially behind the eight-ball, doesn't mean you go into suspended animation. If you do you may find the world has passed you by while you were sleeping. Do something!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

By Kellie J. Lala

 

 

Cue the Christmas music.  I know, I know.  You don’t want to hear that quite yet but let’s face it, it will come either way.  I am one of those that shop all year round so the stress of the holidays is minimized.  According to Chain Store Age (8/1/13), retailers are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming shopping season with 60% forecasting growth of 10% +.  They expect mobile to play an increased role in helping to drive sales with minimal help from social media.   The article goes on to say that it will be a slow start to the season (kicking in late November). Online shopping will continue to steal local market share but mobile’s influence will drive renewed brick and mortar store interest.  Retailers will offer promotions, insider coupons and BOGO to loyal customers.  How many texts or emails do you receive in a week from a retailer?  You could get lots depending upon the number of stores you frequent and programs you enrolled in.  More and more clerks are asking for emails when you check out and it is ok to say NO when they do.  Remember, you control who reaches out to you.  Don’t become a slave to your phone or email messages.  I would love to share some ideas about how to grow your $$ piece of the holiday pie.  Give me a call at 319.363.2061.  Ho, Ho Ho!