I'm willing to bet you've participated in "trading down" already. You may just not have been consciously aware of it. The term I've coined as trading down happens during recessionary times when people make cost saving choices in some categories outside their normal purchasing behaviour. If you normally shop at a specialty shoe store, you might check out the warehouse or rack … [Read more...]
Consumer green shift no marketing flash in the pan
The game has changed. There is a huge market-shift taking place. I just heard a radio commercial offering $15,000 off the price of an SUV. A discount of $15,000? It wasn’t long ago you could actually buy a vehicle for that. Stay tuned; I’m waiting for the one where they OFFER YOU $15,000 to take it away. In June GM announced it would halt production at its pickup truck plant … [Read more...]
Nintendo Wii Fit targets the CHO
From a marketing perspective, what do teen boys in basements with computer game consoles in pursuit of fast paced action heroes and unattainable women have in common with 35+ year-old Mom’s? Conventional wisdom would say, not much. But a departure from conventional tactics is exactly what Nintendo has done with the incredibly successful Wii, and the recent May 21 launch of Wii … [Read more...]
5 emerging themes in a down economy
Dow drops 20% in the last week! GM stock sinks 31%! TSX posts biggest weekly loss in 30 years! Economists expect crisis to deepen! These attention grabbing headlines out of the US and here at home can make focusing on business in Canada pretty unnerving. Although we're undoubtedly in better shape than our brethren south of the border, our economies are inextricably linked. … [Read more...]
Sins, staples and small pleasures
It's official south of the boarder, and likely to touch down in Canada at some point in the future. The "R-word" has landed. In recessions our purchase habits go astray. In an economy build on buying stuff, that can cause havoc. Especially an economy where many purchases straddle the line between unnecessary and totally unnecessary. The trick for marketers is to acknowledge … [Read more...]
