The new abnormal

My colleagues and I were at a staff meeting in north Florida most of last week, so most of us had less time than usual to peruse the various trade magazines we subscribe to. But this morning, colleague John Henley forwarded a story that he caught-up with over the weekend, from Bloomberg Business Week.

It’s a great read, which illustrates the conundrum of consumers who have gone through considerable economic trauma over the past few years, but who still can find a way to spend on those things they are strongly motivated to buy (whether that means a latte or an i-Pad).

Click here to read the story.

Implications: I’ve shared nearly 400 articles/observations about consumer behavior at this site over the past 2 ½ years… and have frequently found myself apologizing for the fact that there are a lot of consumer trends that seem to contradict each other.

This story suggests I don’t have to apologize… that the new normal is abnormal.

Perhaps all of this means that none of us should understand the world of consumers, but settle for the neighborhoods that matter most. The customers you serve now, and those you aspire to serve in the next eighteen to twenty-four months. The customers you’d like to tempt-away from a competitor. The customers and prospects in your local market. Focus on your most immediate, important, and close-at-hand opportunities: Forget the world, and focus on the folks who are heavy users of the product or service you sell.

Some executives think skilled targeting tends to complicate a marketing effort.

I think it lifts the weight of the world from your shoulders.

Mike Anderson