The Technology Conundrum

Over the last decade or so, I have noticed a very discernible pattern. It seems that our primary target demographic, moms, has embraced technology with a fervor, becoming one of the most prolific and powerful groups on the Internet…yet those of us on the ‘commerce’ side, (retailers and vendors), have for the most part seriously lagged behind. Before we can move forward, we must understand where we’ve been, and why we were there.

Change is always a hard pill to swallow, yet our customers seem to have been able to swallow this pill easily, while our ‘industries’ have had a hard time…you might even describe us as ‘gagging’. I believe the reason moms have embraced change, and the reason for the explosive growth of social networking sites and platforms, is that they allow moms to interact at their convenience. Although this may seem to be very apparent, I don’t think that most of us understand the importance.

Moms have always been a very ‘social’ demographic. Many successful companies, Tupperware, Avon, Mary Kay Cosmetics, etc., have been built by understanding and then addressing this need to socialize and build personal relationships with their customers. Ms. Smith doesn’t buy her cosmetics from Mary Kay…she buys them from Jenny Jones, her neighbor with whom she had built a relationship. The internet has, in effect, moved the social gathering area from the home to the ‘cloud’. Moms understand this. In the past, they cultivated relationships in their homes, neighborhoods and communities…now they can build relationships on a global scale. They see the ‘cloud’ as an integral part of their environment.

On the other side, retailers saw their worlds turned upside down almost overnight…and this probably skewed their initial view of the Internet. Traditional brick ‘n mortar stores looked at the internet as a sort of foreign invader. All of a sudden, their loyal customers were shopping online, and instead of embracing this technology, most decided to concentrate on ways to differentiate themselves from it. That is why most retailers have been behind the curve, playing catch-up.

The ‘cloud’ (Internet) gives you a direct portal to your customer…allowing you to interact personally and build a relationship. Successful businesses understand this, and are embracing this paradigm. Social media marketing is a lot like direct selling…you introduce yourself to your customer, socialize a bit, and build a relationship. The stronger you build that ‘social’ bond, the more loyal the customer.

Many marketers believe that in order to make the ‘pill’ easier to swallow, you should cut it up and swallow the ‘pieces’ slowly over a period of time. That strategy may have been a little successful in an ‘up’ economy…but given today’s economic conditions, most don’t have the luxury of being able to make changes at a slower pace. It is time to swallow the pill whole, and jump in with both feet!

Greg Panos
KidzBiz Marketing
www.KidzBizMarketing.com
 (484)685-0565