With a economy on the recessionary decline, are U.S. consumers not up to the task of making New Year’s resolutions?  From my experience, it seems that is more a time for non-traditional resolutions.  On New Year’s day I was driving home from visiting some family and I stopped at a subway.   The guy ahead of me ordered a calorie monster footlong philly cheesesteak with double meat and double cheese on cheese bread.  While this sounds deliciously diet-killing, it was clear that this man was not making any eating resolutions in the New Year.

I also joined a new gym in November of 2008.  So far I have been to the gym at different times of day following the new year and the gym doesn’t seem that crowded.  

Some of my friends and colleagues seem to have made resolutions concerning their financial behavior.  Are people more self-indulgent in a bad economy?  It seems they are, where they indulge in affordable comforting pleasures, whether that might be some comfort food, or buying material items to make them feel better about themselves.

One thing I have learned though with my New Year’s resolutions, is that its not an effective time to make serious change.

Ok - what is the deal here?  We’re in a recession, and businesses cannot afford to lose any business, right?  That is what I would have expected, but if you tried shopping at different retail stores, changes are you experienced customer service casualties.

I was looking for a specific product at Walmart and called them on the phone.  15 minutes later I was transferred two times and never even reached the right department.  I hung up and took my business elsewhere.

My family and I went out for an early New Year’s Eve dinner at one of our favorite fine dining restaurants.  The service was mediocre at best because of the crowd.  Drinks arrived about five minutes after the salads came.  There was no fresh pepper offered on the salad.  Other customer’s entrees showed up at our table by accident, etc, etc, etc.

Ok - I understand that stores are busier than normal during the holiday season, but what is management doing about it?  NOTHING.  How a manager cannot appropriately staff his retail setting is beyond me.  Why do these mid-level managers have a job, if they cannot do one of their main job functions - to properly handle customer volume???  

If the recession continues to evolve as many pundits and industry analysts expect - I’m looking forward to businesses that can’t be bothered to service the customer to go out of business.  Now that the average customer is really pinching pennies, it will be very interesting to see where they choose to spend their hard earned dollars when it comes down to customer service.

How does your business target new and existing customers during the recession?  Now add the fact that we’re in the digital marketing age.  NielsenWire provides some great insight into the growing industry niche.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/shopper-marketing/e3i726f0f4961487c616de729f6a7141f0c

Couponing in the Digital Age

Dec 2, 2008

According to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_advertising :

“Shock advertising is a type of advertising generally regarded as one that “deliberately, rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals.” ^[1] Shock advertising is designed principally to break through the advertising “clutter” to capture attention and create buzz, and also to attract an audience to a certain brand or bring awareness to a certain public service issue, health issue, or cause (e.g., urging drivers to use their seatbelts, promoting STD prevention, bringing awareness of racism and other injustices, or discouraging smoking among teens). ^[2] This form of advertising is often controversial, disturbing, explicit and crass, and may entail bold and provocative political messages that challenge the public’s conventional understanding of the social order. This form of advertising may not only offend but can also frighten as well, using scare tactics and elements of fear to sell a product or deliver a public service message, making a “high impact.” In the advertising business, this combination of frightening, gory and/or offensive advertising material is known as “shockvertising” and is often considered to have been pioneered by Benetton, the Italian clothing retailers which created the line United Colors of Benetton, and its advertisements in the late 1980s (see Benetton below).^[3]

Shock advertisements can be shocking and offensive for a variety of reasons, and violation of social, religious, and political norms can occur in many different ways. They can include a disregard for tradition, law or practice (e.g., lewd or tasteless sexual references or obscenity), defiance of the social or moral code (e.g., vulgarity, brutality, nudity, or profanity) or the display of images or words that are horrifying, terrifying, or repulsive (e.g., gruesome or revolting scenes, or violence). ^[4]. Some advertisements may be considered shocking, controversial or offensive not because of the way that the advertisements communicate their messages but because the products themselves are “unmentionables” not to be openly presented or discussed in the public sphere. ^[5] Examples of these “unmentionables” may include cigarettes, feminine hygiene products, or contraceptives. ^[6] However, there are several products, services or messages that could be deemed shocking or offensive to the public. For example, advertisements for weight loss programs, sex/gender related products, clinics that provide AIDS and STD testing, funeral services, groups that advocate for less gun control, casinos which naturally support and promote gambling could all be considered controversial and offensive advertising because of the products or messages that the advertisements are selling. ^[7] Shocking advertising content may also entail improper or indecent language, like French Connection’s “FCUK” campaign.

Advertisers, psychiatrists, and social scientists have long debated the effectiveness of shock advertising. One finding suggests “shocking content in an advertisement significantly increases attention, benefits memory, and positively influences behavior.” ^[8] The same study also shows that consumers are more likely to remember shocking advertising content over advertising content that is not shocking. ^[9] However, there is still little information on whether shock advertising directly leads to an increase in sales revenue or to changes in behavior. There are social scientists, psychiatrists, media scholars, and child and family advocates who fear that overexposure to shock advertising will result in a public that is “desensitized” to advertisements that employ shock tactics, particularly those with overtly sexual and violent images.”

In recessionary times, it seems that businesses would want to grab their customer’s attention with some type of shock.  To “shock” your customers does NOT mean that you have to offend them, or alienate others.  Although it may be pushing the envelope in some respects.  Just look at the advertising associated with the show Dexter or Showtime.  Their are a lot of gory aspects, with their blood references, but it definitely gets one’s attention.  At SHOCK Marketing our goal is jump-start your business with electrifying customer solutions in marketing, design and web.  We create integrated Measurable Marketing (MM) strategies that charge your customers with the power to purchase your products and services.

Have you noticed that businesses are focusing on affordable pleasures this holiday season?  I have noticed two television commercials in particular that keep getting a lot of airtime.  The Dior fragrance “J’adore” featuring Charlize Theron, and the Dolce & Gabana fragrance featuring Matthew McConaughey.  Even during a recession, the marketing message seems to be: you too can be like a celebrity at an affordable price.  And if you’re going to treat yourself to something special, why not try a new fragrance.

Want a cost effective way to promote your business during the recession?  Blogging offers a great way to help your business get noticed on the web and it doesn’t cost a lot.  Blogs can help your overall Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts if done correctly.

According to the Blog Herald, in an article by Jason Kaneshirohttp://www.blogherald.com/2008/01/30/blogging-during-a-recession/

“There’s no question that an economic slowdown in 2008 is a real possibility (otherwise, why would the Fed have cut rates for the second time in under two weeks?) Anyhow, even if you’re personally unaffected by a foreclosure a layoff, it doesn’t hurt to put the rose-colored glasses aside and just ponder how a recession would impact your blog.

If you rely on your blog for income I would take an objective look at your revenue streams - most likely advertising - and consider what you would do if those revenue streams reduce or disappear completely. For instance, if shoppers are really pulling back and shutting their wallets, I would imagine PPA (Pay Per Action) advertising to suffer. Diversification would also be wise - now may be the time to explore additional income or solidify what you already have. For example, if your blog only brings in money through advertising, explore writing for other blogs or consulting.

Your subject matter may also need some adjustment. Writing about expensive interior decorating, restaurant reviews, day trading, or high-end jewelry may not find a receptive or growing audience. Conversely, there are many subjects that can thrive: frugality, life simplicity, do-it-yourself repairs, and job hunting. I’ve read that movies were popular all throughout the 1930s depression - as people looked to entertainment to distract them from all-too-real troubles.

But generally speaking, I feel that blogging is recession proof. It’s one of the cheapest businesses to start, and many of us could continue writing with nothing more than a working computer, an internet connection, and hosting costs - which is a few hundred dollars a year.

And if money isn’t the primary reason why you’re blogging - you have the luxury of posting persistently through the economic headwinds.”

Jason makes some great points here about the cost-effective nature of blogging.  Consider your options during the recession.  Many businesses unwisely cut back on advertising and marketing during down times, and a blog is a way to allows you personal control, while it helps your SEO efforts.  If you can get some interesting content on your blog that starts to attract a readership, you can also benefit from advertising on your blog.  Irregardless of the recession, blogging is a great way to let your customers know that you care about their education per your industry.  You can also let them know the latest news about your business’ products and services at the same time.  SHOCK offers custom blog packages to meet your needs.  To find out more about our blog solutions, please contact us today.

In a premium article at MarketingProfs published on Friday, December 5, 2008, Jeanette Kocsis argues that paid search should be a mandatory component of your marketing mix.  ”Search is one of the most targeted forms of marketing, since the prospect is already looking for what the marketer is offering,” she explains.  To leverage that built-in connection, she recommends five action points - and here’s a quick overview of the first two:

Set your strategy.  “Like most types of marketing,” she says, “search campaigns without a marketing strategy are doomed to fail.”  Avoid that fate with an exhaustive plan that includes:

• Clear goals and objectives
• Well-defined target audiences
• Relevant offers
• Methods for tracking conversion
• Synergy with natural search efforts
• Timing that complements other marketing campaigns

Customer service is paramount 365 days of the year to keep satisfied customers coming back.  But how does your customer service strategy change during a recession?

If you had problems getting customers to come back to your store before the recession, you’re going to have more serious problems now.  Businesses are all lowering their prices to get any business at all.  But if everyone is doing the same thing, you can use superior customer service as a no-cost tool to distinguish yourself from the competition.

To find out how SHOCK Marketing can turn your business into a customer service standout, please contact us for your free consultation.