Sunday, January 31, 2010

HOW TO MAKE YOUR TARGET CONSUMER HAPPY!

Have you ever heard a jingle or a tag line that you can’t stop thinking about? The first time I heard a man on TV say “Your going to like the way you look,” I loved it and have never stopped loving it. The reason is that it is a glaring example of a marketing distinction I have been practicing for a very long time.

Personally, I stopped buying suits a long time ago but apparently there is a brisk business catering to those who still do. Two companies, Men’s Warehouse and 3 Day Suit Broker are going head to head to capture the business that’s left. Both brands are national, both advertise heavily and each has very different selling propositions. Based on my experience, only one of them is doing it well…the other, absolutely not.  

You may recall in my previous blog, I said all consumers really want is to be HAPPY. In order to address consumer happiness head on you must communicate something about your consumer first, then support it with your product or service characteristics.   

The name 3 Day Suit Broker is about the product and immediately poses the question “what do they mean by 3 days?’ Given their brand name they are forced to continue communicating more about their product in order to simply answer that question. Notice, there is nothing in this message for the consumer. Nothing to make them happy. 

The name Men’s Warehouse by contrast communicates discount or value then they continue by declaring, “You’re going to like the way you look.” WOW! They got me there. That’s about me. That will make me happy. Then they continue by saying, “I guarantee it.” What more could I possibly ask for? They also tell me about the big brands they carry but I am already sold. 

So, ask yourself. If you need a suit and both stores are close by, which one do you choose? 

Now take a look at what you are communicating about your product or service, Again I say, get over how significant your product or service is and communicate something that will make your target consumer HAPPY…good luck.

Cheers, 

Keith Chambers

Keynote Marketing Speaker
Creative Marketing Consultant
(310) 473-0010
www.chambersgroup.com
 

Friday, January 22, 2010

ALL CONSUMERS WANT THE SAME THING!

When I say that, most of you are thinking about your product or service. Probably thinking “Am I saying the right things about my product or service to make consumers want to buy it”. Restaurant owners spend hours working on their menus to create the correct entrĂ©e then many more hours describing each item in the most compelling way possible.
 
By contrast, 3M sells a lot of sand paper and while they are careful to tell consumers how it performs, they were smart enough to tell consumers exactly what they get when they use it. It’s not at all about the sandpaper.

Consumers are people just like you and I. We are simple. All we want is to be HAPPY. Yep… just HAPPY. Notice that happy is about the consumer, not the product. How you make them happy is to tell them “you have what they want”. On the 3M sandpaper package, before they tell you about the product it says in prominent type, “Less Work” If you are about to take on a sanding job that is exactly what you want.

So, get over the significance of your product or service and give your target consumers what they want. Make them happy.

Cheers, 

Keith Chambers

Keynote Marketing Speaker
Creative Marketing Consultant
(310) 473-0010
www.chambersgroup.com

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