Steve Yastrow writing on TomPeters dot com: “Marketers have always looked at integrated marketing as something they do. Start with a foundation of advertising, then add a pinch of PR, a dash of direct marketing and a spoonful of sales promotion and voila!, you’ve got effective marketing.
I think that’s backwards. Marketers don’t do integrated marketing, customers do. Customer integrate all experiences with a company into a composite impression. If a customer decides that listening to music on hold for 15 minutes while waiting for help tells her more about that company than their radio commercials, that’s her privilege. If another customer decides to focus more on how an invoice reads than how the brochure or print ad read, he can.”
Marketing 101 is a course sadly missing as well from today’s retail society. Just go into most any Target, Sears, Wal-Mart or K-Mart and see if you can find ANYONE to help you other than a cashier or someone at the “customer service” counter. They have virtually NO floor help, which means it’s up to the customer to find what they are looking for or leave.
A great way to brand store loyalty.
This, actually, is largely how America views shopping today. Even better is when you get to go through a line and check out your items yourself. Wow.
These stores must be making a fortune, for they have virtually NO human overhead beyond stock boys and some cashiers.
All the more reason to go out of your way to spend more money at your local hardware or food store. Push back on the big boxes and keep independents alive.