Gotta have a Gimmick
In this day and age we are bombarded with so many different messages we tend to switch off. Who can name one advertisement you saw this morning riding the subway? I stare at them all the time, yet nothing ever makes a dent. Research shows that today’s generation are working more and sleeping less. Although we tend to seek out information we are overall a little bombarded to say the least.
Businesses have capitalized on this busy and overloaded market; it is quite a lucrative one. Think about it, when you are busy you have little time to spare but plenty of money to spend. You tend to need more pampering than ever and are prepared to pay for it. But have you noticed how much it costs to relax these days? Only yesterday I was in Wholefoods searching for some aromatherapy oils and stumbled across a whole range for the stressed out, at an obviously proportional mark up. Beautifully packaged they promoted every blissful state of being.
From alleviating stress to creating balance they were perfectly marketed to the overstressed. Now I’m not saying that these products don’t do what they say but they certainly do use all the right phrases. When you have five minutes after a long day what are you more likely to grab, the $5 bottle of lavender (which is said to have similar stress-reducing qualities) or the $18 bottle of blissful blends? Personally I think Wholefoods should provide the ‘stress alleviator’ for free, just for surviving the mile long express line without having a nervous breakdown.
Service industries have always capitalized on the stressed: personal shoppers, dog walkers, even nannies take care of things you no longer have time for, (or things you think deserve a little more attention). One lady in Manhattan even goes as far as to provide a service where she will trawl through the many second hand furniture stores for unique pieces for your home. And she is booked solid, at $100/hr, it seems hand me downs are very vogue.
If you can work out a way your product or service can make someone elses life easier you will win their business. Hell, just providing a service that runs efficiently, delivers on time - what they promised, goes a long way.
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