..... not plugged in

The internet is full of advertising blunders where basic research was not carried out. For instance:

When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, "it won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." Instead, the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

Checking out messages that you use with your customer does make sense, clearly the language used may vary over a geographic area, but it could be more than this.

Plugging into your market involves matching your resources, capabilities and values to an appropriate market position. It is a 2 way process that may mean changing your focus to take advantage of a particular segment of the market place.

Research is not just knowledge of the customer, but the broader themes that surround the customers world. This includes your competition, but also substitute products, government influence, and general trends.

For instance you may feel that there is a gap for a male clothing shop in a small town. There are enough men of sufficient income, and a straw poll says they would like a shop in town. Significant trends suggest that choice and price are important. Larger cities have lots of alternatives, as does the internet. Would you be able to supply the choice required at the right price to make a go of things? There are reasons why a lot of high street clothing stores have moved out of small towns.

Plugging into your market reduces your risk of making costly mistakes. It increases the chances of developing successful strategies that match the needs of your intended customers. For more information please contact us.