How many independent business owners do you think really, TRULY understand their customers on a personal level? I mean really getting down to the nitty-gritty of who your potential buyers are. Where do they shop? What do they wear? What T.V. shows do they watch? What books do they read at night? Who do you think they will vote for? What are their friends like? What is their favorite food? Understanding why consumers act a certain way, how they share information with each other, and what cultural influences shape the way that they perceive information is like getting a cheat sheet into the world of consumer marketing.
Today your potential customers have transitioned dramatically in the way they choose who they work for and more importantly who they exonerate. They have different backgrounds and cultural foundations, receive and process information in new ways, and want to interact on a more personal level. Businesses and marketers that fail to research or investigate statistics and consumer insights within their field, fail horribly to understand the true nature of the background of someone who could potentially be a customer for life.
Instead of trying to change behaviors, people can learn how to play into the interests of the majority of their fans or followers and utilize them to their advantage. Since building a brand is based upon establishing an intellectual and emotional relationship, independent business professionals must take cultural context into consideration. A greater understanding of cultural insights increases a marketer’s ability to motivate action and affect change.
As we evolve we become blithely aware of the fact that we can no longer adhere to the age old saying, “the customer is always right”. In the chaotic and congested age of online marketing, what we should be saying is, “whatever the customer thinks is right, is what we have told them is right”. Companies now realize that they need to offer a wide variety of products, services, colors and creative options to appeal to an ever-changing customer base. But why do some products sell like hot-cakes while others collect dust?
Consumers now represent a complex mixture of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers, all vying for the public’s attention. Each group has its own specific needs, wants and desires. Without gaining insight into these groups, businesses will never be able to develop products that they desire, or more importantly to promote them in a way that gains attention.
Businesses need to understand how each potential viewer group relates to the products and services it uses before marketing can be set into motion.
Consumer-centric marketing is more than just a popular google search. The business world is ever-evolving, sustaining itself on the uncertainty of never-ending change. What appeals to customers one day may not work the next. We have to wake up to this fact and drastically improve our insights into consumer behavior if we want to ensure success.