In Michael Hepworth’s StreetSmart Marketeer he reminds us that ‘Customers are Not as Gullible as They Once Were’ Why? He believes there are two primary reasons.
1. Clutter… there is simply too much advertising out there.
2. Knowledgeable Consumers… today’s more savy buyer sees right through marketing hype.
How can the average business address this reality? The original way consumers decided what they wanted, by generating Word of Mouth referrals, still the most powerful method of marketing around [because people trust their friends].
It’s free and 85% of all buying decisions are made on the recommendations of others. What to do? Educate yourself so that you understand your target consumer(s)… their pain, their needs, their wants… then offer the solutions they are seeking.
Speak to targeted consumers as individuals, expanding your marketing activities with direct marketing and public relations. These more genuine, personalized approaches are more believable.
Identify centers of influence and nurture these relationships so that they grow, creating higher level Word of Mouth referrals. As David Ogilvy said; “The consumer is not an idiot, she’s your wife.”
We take this one step further… she’s your wife, searching for those perfect things for herself and her family… and she and her friends have mastered the Word of Mouth referral system. Just ask Nintendo, which brought technology savvy “Moms on board to help spread word of mouth about its new gaming system, the Wii.” As part of Nintendo’s marketing strategy to sell more gaming systems, they worked with Moms to spread the Word. See the LA Times article, ‘Alpha Moms’ pitch Nintendo Wii.
Posted in Blogroll, Marketing & Promotion, Offline Marketing, Tourism Marketing
