Trending

Advertisement

Mr. Marketing: Market or fall further behind

Share

Last week my bride and I strolled by Ralph’s in 4S Ranch and spotted a “Grand Opening” banner above the entrance.

Since the store opened in 2007, the sign made little sense to us.

We naturally wandered inside to discover what was going on. There we discovered a branch of Murray’s Cheese Shop, typically listed as one of New York City’s best.

There are 12 grocery stores within five miles of my home. Like most shoppers, I have my favorites. And our shopping habits shifted after 2011’s grocery strike. We don’t shop much at Ralph’s.

Yet a little initiative had Ralph’s pushing my “Say What?” button. They successfully drew me inside to find a taste of the home I left behind 25 years ago. We’ve since returned to Ralph’s several times.

It again reminded me of the importance of finding ways to stand out of the crowd. Because regardless of what you sell, at some point you’ll probably face a saturated marketplace and/or jaded consumers.

Just bumping along doing what you’ve always done won’t cut it anymore.

Then there’s the fact that your customers are exposed to 5,000 marketing messages daily.

So if they’re getting numb, how are you going to grab their attention?

Will the marketing flavor of the week work? Remember QR codes? Neither does anyone else.

Or there are the usual suspects: direct mail, sales promotion and Google ads.

Frustratingly, marketing moves so fast today that even before you’ve done something, public interest has already waned.

It’s tempting to just throw up your hands in dismay. But you can’t: you must market or risk falling even further behind.

But rather than strictly relying on flashy websites and blogs that say little, try using the “HUH?” factor.

Let customers see your name near something that makes little sense. Their innate curiosity will take over and they’ll come in just to get closure.

And getting them through your door is half the battle, isn’t it?

Then, assuming your message or offering is compelling enough, you’ll get them to buy from you.

Whether that purchase is the first one or the first in a long time, the grand opening of their wallet is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Advertisement