The economy and marketing

As I sit here on a beautiful and cool Sunday morning I see many commercials for shows which are coming this fall.  There are shows which contain violence, crime and other dramas of negativity.  Does this affect our view of the economy.  DEFINITELY!

When you are surrounded by negativity then you exude what you have absorbed.  I was looking at a study survey I took as a manager in my younger years and it showed me geared toward negative traits.  Given this same survey today and I am sure it would be much different.  I shy away from watching any shows which portray negativity, crime or so called "reality TV" such as the news, NCIS, Law and Order, etc.  I much prefer comedies such as The Big Bang Theory, The Bob Newhart Show, Seinfeld and my all time favorite, Mad About You.  If these are not on then I listen to upbeat or relaxing music.  This positive energy which I am absorbing through my viewing and listening habits has allowed me to see the world in a different light and I share that with others in the business world.  In my hometown of Philadelphia for instance I was speaking with a building engineer yesterday while I was in a work zone on Broad Street.  We were chatting about different items about the our beloved city and how the economy was not doing well.  I politely disagreed with him and discussed next years crane rentals for construction as well as letting him know about how the sales in most of our clients businesses have increase dramatically over the past 24 months.  He had no idea about any of this and I saw his attitude lift a little.

How does this relate to marketing?  Marketing is all about selling the positives of your business or product and how it will help those who you are marketing to.  It does not have to make them wealthy (although many of us would like that), nor does it have to immediately make all your problems go away.  As an example I will use products I have been purchasing recently for my home.  I have been buying the bright colored kitchen accessories like can openers, coffee presses and tea kettles.  The items are replacements for worn out pieces and they have not made me more money nor have they fixed any of the items in my house which need repair, but they have made an impact on my attitude.  The bright yellows and greens have brightened up my kitchen as well as my views of my world and allowed my creativity to flow once again.  For your business you could utilize the same method by purchasing brightly colored company apparel to give to your staff or bright colored promotional products to give out which reflect positivity.   This coupled with great customer service (which is also part of marketing), should net you an increase in sales.

So go forth and be positive!