Someday you should try looking at the world through rose colored glasses- or any type of classes different from your own. There is a revolution going on in society, and every marketer seems to think they have a plan to capitalize on it. Fact is, most plans are wrong; not in theory, but in scope.
Noelle Weaver’s post helped put into perspective a myriad of ideas I’
ve h
ad over the past five years.
Most companies start defining their target customers by putting them into buckets- male, 22, plays video games- you go here, 38 year old farmer in the Midwest- you go here. Too bad for them that people don't spend their time worrying about fitting into your buckets. What marketers need is a hose to fill their targ
ets’ buckets with their information.
The problem is that marketers need to discard demographics and embrace needs. The question should
n’t be how to reach the Midwestern farmer, but how to reach people who want to buy John Deer hats. Maybe that farmer buys his clothes online along with farm supplies and groceries, since it is easier than driving two hours to the nearest superstore. You just might also reach the college kids in Portland looking for mesh hats too.
Trying to put people in buckets just doesn’t
work anymore because even though people follow trends for trendiness
sake 3000% more than they will admit, more than ever they are now actively looking to go against trends. Remember the 10 trendsetting kids in your high school? Now
everyone in high school is a trendsetter. Now, trying
not to be trendy is trendsetting.
Don’t thin
k so? You think Craig’s List
wasn’t born ou
t of aggravation of eBay culture online? You think American Apparel wasn’t conceived
because someone was sick of the gaudiness of Tommy Jeans and blinging Sean Jean
? Now they are staples of the marketplace.
Soccer moms are looking for less crowded gyms so they can fit in a quick workout during their baby’s afternoon n
ap. Bally’s doesn’t work
for them-
enter Curves. Maybe they weren’t looking for a pl
ace to workout amongst only women, but it was close to home and the removal men from the gym makes it easier to hit the free weights and get home.
People want the information you have to give, but they want it in a different way and from a different place than most marketers seem to want to give it. Why spend dollars to try to catch mice with your buckets? Wouldn’t it be easier to f
ind a group of buckets and spray them with your message?