Marketing – Business – Life :: Allen Mowery

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.

Merry Christmas!

Top Ten Marketing Blunders of 2009Originally posted on Collateral Damage.

1) NBC GOES ALL LENO ALL THE TIME
Edsel … New Coke … Lenovision.

NBC has joined the immortals of marketing stupidity. This year the molting peacock network and president Jeff “Have They Fired Me Yet?” Zucker decided to turn five of the primest pieces of prime-time real estate — the hour between 10 and 11 PM from Monday through Friday — into the Jay Leno hour.

The result? A 28% drop in viewership (through mid-November). This has not only killed network revenues but done in affiliates who have no lead-in for their late news casts.
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