- Deadlines out the wazoo, but staying busy is great.
- Recently discovered the relaxing beauty of Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime Vanilla tea…a must-have to de-stress.
- Excited about my personal marketing efforts being distributed in Dubai, UAE.
- Loved the warmer weather the last couple days…gave me a chance to do some outdoor photography without my fingers falling off.
- I miss the old split image focusing screens that were in my old cameras and can’t wait to get an after-factory one installed in my new camera.
- Kohen goes for his four month appointment on Friday…”little” guy already weighs 20 pounds.
- Excited about my new hobby — golf. Not sure if it will be long-lived, but at least we’ll try.
Walmart: Capitalizing on the LazyIf Walmart were any slower they’d be the Federal government, or so I have come to surmise. I was reminded of this the other evening as I stood in the express checkout lane at our local supercenter, completely frustrated that even after the holiday rush they were still unable to open more than a half dozen registers.
Do I like standing in an express line for twenty minutes? Do I like never being able to find an associate when I need one? No. So why do I keep going back? Because Walmart knows its customers. They understand the inbred laziness of their primary (i.e. American) consumer, and they capitalize on it. Sure, we might complain to friends or rant in blog posts about our discontent. Yes, you can find a number of products elsewhere for cheaper. But in the end we endure what we believe to be necessary evils for the convenience of the one-stop-shopping experience, and Walmart’s knowledge of this has put them on top of world. Even standing in line for twenty minutes is more convenient than the time it would take to go elsewhere.
NECESSITY: Not the mother you thought she wasWe have all heard the familiar adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” However, this is not entirely true. It’s a twisted plot, but if you follow closely you will see that she is the grandmother in this entire equation. Necessity is actually the mother of Desperation who had a romantic tryst with Ingenuity and spawned Invention. I know it hurts, but I thought you should be made aware…
Capitalize on ConfusionWe just came through Christmas, and in all reality, I’m kind of relieved that it’s finally over. The constant barrage of money-driven advertising begins to wear on a person, and we quickly become wary of all of the sales gimmicks. The incessant “buy this,” “save money on this,” and the ever-popular “find-your-personal-identity-by-giving-them-a-gift-worth-having” marketing tactics strip many consumers (myself included) of any joy during the holiday season. We shut down, we tune out, and turn off those annoying voices and images, trying to find a moment’s respite before we lose our minds.
Next year, capitalize on this confusion by creating a miniature escape for your customers. Don’t hit them with a sales pitch or price gimmick; go against the norm, whether it’s giving away a free product or service, providing peace of mind or simply letting them know that they mean more to you than a dollar sign.
