Our country, the American consumer and business are changing.
If you are still promoting and marketing with systems from the 90's you are missing the boat. A study conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association indicated in 2008, that the average American household spends $1,200 annually on consumer electronics and the average teen spends approximately half of his or her discretionary income on gadgets.
It makes me wonder who is suffering? Oh yeah that's right, the guy that is doing the same things! Everything is changing right before our eyes, you must change along with the consumer. Your competition is not the other guy that sells or provides what you have in your bag or in your store. They should actually be your partners. You must make your products or services exciting, accessible and easy to obtain. It is not who can be the cheapest, instead it is how it can improve their life. Your competition is the cell phone provider that is taking hundreds of dollars a month from your customer, it is pay per view, it is Walmart. Your competition during this recession, and God forbid....a depression is actually anywhere else that they spend money. Businesses or providers that offer what you do, should be your closest allies. If you promote and intrigue consumers to look at your business and create excitement in unison you are more likely to show how your industry or products are appealing.
