Common Sense

I saw a sad sight this morning; my local Hollywood Video is forever closing its doors. I’m not sad because I frequented the store( I mean really, who wants to pay $4.99 for one movie when I can sign up for Netflix for $9 a month and get unlimited movies and I don’t even have to leave my home!) , but it feels like the end of an era for me. Renting movies (and yes even VCR’s) was a huge part of growing up in the 1980’s. Sadly companies like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster didn’t change lanes and they didn’t become more convenient.

If only they had read my blogs on Changing Lanes and Convenience!  

Now I’m not saying I’m some kind of genius (oh how I wish!), but I would like to think that I have some good common sense. I have enough sense to know that in a digital age where convenience and frugality are prized, that charging my customers an arm and a leg to rent one measly movie might not be a great marketing plan (at least not a sustainable one). It’s not that people have quit renting or watching movies, it’s that they have found a cheaper, more convenient way to do so. The consumer has changed lanes. Unfortunately these companies did not.

Take a look at your marketing plan.

Does it make sense in the here and now?

Does it look ahead for future changes in technology, behavior and trends?

Most importantly, does it meet your customer’s needs and wants?

If you answered yes to these questions, great!  If you answered no to any of the above questions, I would strongly advise that you take some time to get to know your customers better.  Based on that, re-work your marketing plan. Don’t get left behind.  I would hate to have to use one of our readers as an example in my “what not to do” category.

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