'Tis the Season of Shouting

So we find ourselves approaching the time of year of supposed goodwill to all men and the like. I’m particularly fond of this despite the overt consumerism that seems to dominate everything. However, far more annoying than the endless rounds of festive piped music in the stores or the delirious fervent of some poor parent trying to find the soon to be forgotten “hot” toy of the season (a guinea pig this year apparently), is the advertising that so many companies undertake.

Perhaps even more so when the economy sucks, but every year it seems that most marketers seem to feel that the only way to get their message heard is to yell louder than the last. When they all do this together at this time of year, spouting one supposed deal after another; the cacophony is deafening. Literally.

Also it is quite pointless, despite what the common (but wrong) wisdom may tell us every year. It actually turns off the highest spending of consumers (the New Economic Order) and appeals only to the Traditionals, who are focused upon price and nothing else. Inevitably it can bring some short term success but always leads to the wrong long term question: Instead of “how do you get people to pay full price again after such heavy discounting”, the real challenge, is “how do you attract the less price focused consumers when you have previously done everything in your power to drive them away?”

I had the misfortune to wander into an Eddie Bauer store yesterday, attracted by a jacket they had on a display. The moment my toes crossed the threshold I was assailed by a fiendishly motivated “sales guy” who proceeded to tell me about the discounts and what great deals they had. I wanted to run away but he wouldn’t relent from grabbing random things off of the shelf (none of which even remotely interested) me and explaining what a great deal they were. I never did look at the jacket.

On Planet Traditional (for that is what it is) this is seen as aggressive salesmanship and “giving the consumer what they want”, but is it really that? No matter how many times I read that consumers have changed I can’t help noticing that they really haven’t. Sure, those who shops primarily on price are getting ever more accustomed to better deals, to such an extent that they will not buy without one. But what about the rest of us, who really don’t care what the deal is until we know if we want the bloody thing! Or as the research shows us, the 24% of the population that dominate the big spending category? Well, we can’t hear you because you are shouting to loud.

In all the noise and deal making, the biggest opportunities for your business are covering their ears and heading for the exits. You won’t notice they have gone. At least not until you cash up at the end of the day!