When asked why he robbed banks Willy Sutton quipped, “Because that is where the money is,”.
In these hard economic times businesses have been slow to learn this lesson. Advertising and marketing are focusing on a demographic that has less and less disposable income and discretionary spending.
Who should businesses be focusing on? Well — people like me.
We are 55+, we have retired or will soon retire; we have inherited or will soon inherit a sizable estate; and while the stock market has hurt our nest egg — for the most part, we are doing quite well.
We are different from our parents generation. A generation that survived a depression, a world world, worked hard all their lives to retire at 65 and die a few years later. We are healthy and expect to stay that way for another 20 or 30 years. However, we are starting to realize our own mortality. We might have something set aside ‘for the kids’. But, they ain’t getting all of it.
Like any group of this size we are a diverse lot. We want to save the planet – but that Cadillac sure looks nice. We don’t need a 35 foot motorhome, 25 feet will work fine, but it better have all the ‘beels and whisles’. Those jet-skis look like fun, how about a kayak, or maybe a sailboat. And PLEASE, don’t make me sit in a cramped airplane seat – give me some leg room and a little luxury – I can finally afford it.
<- caught my eye. It is the Joomla favicon. Instantly the site lost all credibility. A site that claims to be for IT professionals does not tell potential hackers what content management system it is using.
“Salesmanship-In-Print”
This week on The Adge of Persuasion, Terry O’Reilley talked about Albert Lasker, considered the father of modern advertising. He talked of Lasker’s contract with his audience that in return for listening to the advertising message – they would be entertained or enlightend.
Lasker owes part of his success to a chance encounter with a former Canadian North West Mounted Policeman (NWMP) by the name of John E. Kenedy. It was 1905, the store goes that Kennedy, who had turned his hand to copy writing, sent an note to A.L. Thomas, the head of the Lord & Thomas advertising agency. For some reason, Lasker, who was a junior partner there at the time, got the note. In the note Kennedy promised to reveal the meaning of advertising. Intrigued Lasker agreed to meet with Kennedy.
Kennedy summed up advertising in three words – Salesmanship in Print. The meaning of print has changed over the years, but the basic message is the same.
Your website has two functions marketing and sales. Too many sites focus only on the marketing. Thinking once potential customers reach their site sales will follow. — They won’t!! Your site needs to advertise your product. You need that "Salesmanship in Print" working for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Kennedy worked with Lasker for a while creating some of the fundamental concepts of modern marketing. And, after a hundred years, his ideas on marketing are just a true as today as the were then.