The Individual

Monday, November 13, 2006 at 03:56pm by Angela Gilltrap in Marketing

These days consumers don’t like to be seen following a herd, they want to be seen as an individual, an intelligent consumer.

The days of Gucci clad women dressed head to toe in one designer are gone. More than likely you will see people mixing and matching, wanting to get more for their money and wanting to create their own style, through brand choice.

Many businesses are catering to the individual in order to gain a competitive edge in an already overcrowded market. Believe it or not, it’s not hard to individualize a mass market.

One bank in Australia has recently brought out a credit card called ‘My Card’. Basically you can upload any image you want and personalize your credit card.

The marketing goes along the lines of: put a picture of your loved one (baby comes up), your special day (a wedding shot) or choose from one of over 500 pictures on file to customize your card.

It doesn’t mention interest rates, card features or functions, it is purely marketing it’s product on creating an individual consumer, someone who doesn’t want to be like everyone else.

In the process they create word of mouth advertising as the pictures chosen obviously become a conversation piece; each person analyzing each other’s choice and making anyone without a personalized card feel left out.

In the competitive world of banking, something as small as this, can and has given them an edge over their competition.

Australia has one of the highest credit card debt in the world. High interest rates mean nice profits and nice profits mean big competition.

The ‘My Card’ marketing program mixes technology with cuteness and is sure to add many new customers to the fold. I’m looking forward to seeing what the competition will find to get back in the race.

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