The "I've just gotta have that" mentality

In a weak economy.., consumers tend to only buy what they need. If consumers feel that they can do without your product/service — whether that's actually the case or not — your business is going to be significantly impacted.

Since 2006, many household products previously regarded as necessities have been placed in the luxury category by consumers. Microwaves, clothes dryers, air conditioners, and televisions all took a hit and have been dropping in sales.

Granted, this can be partially attributed to emerging technologies. For instance, there are now a variety of ways for consumers to watch TV — on their computers, mobile phones, and other little hand-held gadgets. And speaking of mobile phones, that's one industry that hasn't been hit by this economy. In fact, just as many consumers who felt that they needed a mobile phone in 2006 feel the same way today. (Read the report at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1199/more-items-seen-as-luxury-not-necessity)

All is not lost if public opinion is saying that your product is no longer a necessity. People are still purchasing these products. College students will always need a microwave, and it will be interesting to see how many people feel that air conditioning isn't a necessity when the real summer heat hits.

Oftentimes, all it takes is the right marketing angle to show customers that they do need your product. If you feel that consumer opinion is placing your product in the luxury category because of this recession, let's talk. Or, better yet, talk amongst yourselves. I would LOVE to see the Hudson Valley business community come together and start doing some collaborative marketing. I always like to find the good in things. If one good thing comes out of this recession, it will be that our business community comes out stronger than we went in.

June Bisel
BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com
845-695-1880
smartstrategies@bbggadv.com

We Still Love our Cars!

In my first April post, I flashed a beacon of hope for realtors that there was still hope and that people were still planning to buy homes (http://www.businesscardcontacts.com/2009/04/realtors-homebuyers-are-still-out-there.html). So, it is only appropriate that in one of my first posts of May that I flash another beacon of hope. This bit of encouragement is for those in the business of selling cars.

According to an online survey conducted by R.L Polk & Co., more than half of consumers in the U.S are planning to purchase a car within the next two years. Although many consumers are wary of buying from American automakers, this is still a good sign for auto retailers.

The percentage of people looking to purchase varies among regions. The survey results show the Great Lakes as the region with the lowest percentage, but even they have 51% looking to buy cars within 2 years.

So, for car dealers in the Hudson Valley, and even those looking to sell their own car, the auto market is not frozen. More than half of consumers are still shopping for cars and planning to make this purchase within the next two years. Make sure that you have the kinds of cars that they are looking for in their inventory. They want reliable, affordable, efficient vehicles. And the Eco-friendly trend is here to stay.

June Bisel
BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com
845-695-1880
smartstrategies@bbggadv.com

Mothers Want Fun Foods for their Children

While there are different ways to market your products to children, the most effective seems to be through us Moms. Yes, it's true .... us mothers control the majority of household spending and make key decisions on what our children eat.

Studies are showing that mothers favor healthy choices in their children's diet, but also look to choices that our children find fun and tasty. 86% of mothers surveyed said that the highest priority for their food choices is nutrition. 82% said that the food should establish good eating habits. Although health is unsurprisingly a top priority, the survey also shows that mothers are trying to strike a balance between health and convenience. Amazingly, 80% cited that a high priority when making food purchases is simply that it "fills them up". Having two teen-age boys, I can totally understand that!

There is a fine line that food manufacturers must walk between nutrition and convenience. Each is a highly desired characteristics for mothers, but we certainly don't want to succumb to buying unhealthy processed foods for the sake of convenience.

We mothers are very busy, but still want food that will promote healthy eating habits in our children. If your business sells healthy foods that can help us moms find that balance between healthy and fun, make sure you let us know about it. It will benefit everyone!

June Bisel

BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations

BusinessCardContacts.com

845-695-1880

smartstrategies@bbggadv.com

Facebook Success Story

Up until recently, I hadn't even heard of "Toasted Heads". But, success stories in Social Media just fascinate me and I am eager to share them with you whenever possible.

Toasted Heads is a premium wine brand, which has recently become an unlikely success story in social media. They created a profile page on Facebook and increased their stated fan base from under 1,000 to 3,334 Facebook fans as of today.

More than tripling their their fan base on Facebook was not expected because of the exclusivity of the fan base. However, this serves as a lesson to everyone that effectiveness through online social networking media is not just for the Pepsi's, CNN's and Ashton Kutcher's of the world.

If you're considering establishing a presence online, look at what these brands have in common. For one, branded content is very important to your web presence. Toasted Heads uses brand related gigs like the "burning question of the week" and tips to "fire up your life." Ashton Kutcher became the first person with a million Twitter followers with a publicity stunt promising to punk CNN owner Ted Turner if he could reach a million followers before the cable news station.

Toasted Heads also reached out to its own informal friends list, which then created the opportunity for the fan base to spread through word of mouth. Then it was coupled with targeted marketing efforts to drive people to sign up as fans on its Facebook page. Follow the patterns that made these companies successful on social media platforms and use online resources like Facebook, Twitter and BusinessCardContacts.com to their fullest extent to make your web presence effective.

June Bisel

BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com
845-695-1880
smartstrategies@bbggadv.com

Recession Chic Hits the Teenage Demographic

Teenage girls are turning into little Recessionistas as the average spending on clothes in the 12-18 year old crowd is down nearly 20%. But while spending on clothing is down, the same demographic is spending about 10% more on both shoes and accessories. The psychology of teenagers can be so confusing sometimes.

As an fan of TLC's What Not to Wear, I know that a solid wardrobe is built around pieces that you can accessorize to create several different outfits. Teenagers and their parents are being more selective, price conscious, and value-driven in their clothing purchases. So, while overall teen spending is down 14%, they are still looking to get the most out of each article of clothing they own and purchase.

If you market to teenagers in this sector, then this is a figure you cannot ignore. Make sure you offer accessories to these buyers and increase the value of each purchase they make.

June Bisel

BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations

BusinessCardContacts.com

845-695-1880

smartstrategies@bbggadv.com