A Letter From Your Consumer

So I got sent a letter from your consumer. They have a couple things they wanted to get off their chest.

• First, about that word

  So about that hideous term consumer.

  That’s never ever used out here in the real world. I surely don’t listen to that name. I’m just Anna, or Jake, or Elliot.

  And yeah, sometimes I buy things. But most often, that’s not because I want to, but because I need to. Either way I don’t care a whole lot about it most of the times.

• Advertising

  I’ll hate you for interrupting my favourite show with your ads. But if you do it often enough, I might just buy your brand anyway.

• Salience

  You’re on to something here. I need to know your brand exists if you ever want a shot at my money.

• Consistency

  This is your lifeline. For me to ever start recognising your brand or remembering what product you sell, you better be consistent in your comms.

  So if your newly appointed marketing director starts going on about a rebranding, slap them in the face.

• Differentiation

  Hugely overrated. 9/10 times I won’t care what makes your brand or product unique, and usually nothing does anyway. I just need to know it exists, then recognise it, and then I need to agree on its pricing.

• Distinctiveness

  I guess this goes back to consistency.

  For me to recognise your brand, you better make sure it looks and sounds like itself. And don’t go making massive changes every 2 years.

• Competition

  Doesn’t exist.

  What you consider to be competitors, I consider alternatives, spanning many different categories too.

  All options are open all of the time.

• Price

  We might not agree on this. I want the lowest possible one, but you probably shouldn’t. Just don’t forget price and profit go hand in hand.

• Mental availability

  I need to think of your brand whenever I think of your product category. Not exactly rocket science.

  See also Salience.

• Physical availability

  I need to actually be able to buy your brand the minute I am going to buy your product category.

  Pretty simple. But easy to get wrong.

• Loyalty

  Haha yeah right.

  Look, if I do buy again, it’s because your product isn't completely shit and I’m lazy. And also risk averse. And very much into convenience and habit.

• Attribution

  A big old rabbit hole.

  I use 4 devices, so don't think for a second you can accurately track my journey to purchase. Even forgetting for a second that most of my life takes place offline.

  Also, just because I might not interact with a particular ad, that doesn't mean it didn't impact my decision making. And the reverse is true too by the way.