1. Marketing Tip - Internet strategies

2. Computer Tip - Quick Access

3. Business Tip - Consumer Attitudes The New Age Of Thrift

4. Where's Debbie

Marketing Tip:
Would you be interested in a 1/2 day workshop covering successful Website, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn strategies for business? I'm just gauging interest now by asking you to vote with a 'yes'. If I get enough yeses I'll proceed with workshops in July / August

Whether brand new or dabbling already you'll benefit from learning::

• Practical, no hype explanation of the value and pitfalls of each
• How you can exploit their technologies for your businesses benefit
• Exceedingly clever marketing, referral, contest and communication strategies
• What will work, what doesn't
• Examination of each area to show

You'll end up knowing:

• The hidden attributes of each, what to bother with, what to skip
• How to cover your tush from bad word of mouth
• How to modernise your website & make it interactive
• Secrets to save a phenomenal amount of time working with social media

Simply vote your interest by sending an email below with your interest and what city you'd

Yes interested in a public workshop (put your preferred city in the email) mailto:public@successis.co.nz

Yes interested in a private in-house workshop
mailto:private@successis.co.nz

Yes interested in an add-on to our conference, sales meeting, regional meeting mailto:conference@successis.co.nz

Computer Tip
If you have Office 2007, you're hopefully familiar with the Ribbon by now. If you haven't started creating your own delicious line-up of shortcuts in your Quick Access Toolbar, now's the time to do it. The Quick Access Toolbar is the line of of little icons directly to the right of the circular Office Button.

Though each MS Office program has 100's of functions, you probably use 6-10 more than others. When you next use one, right click it. One of the options is Add to Quick Access Toolbar. That's it. Each program can have it's own shortcuts. Use it. You'll utterly love the convenience.

Business Tip: Consumer attitudes
When you read a great article, you want to share it, don't you? That's how I felt about The New Age Of Thrift by Michael Carney. In my humble opinion it's a must read for every person in business. Enjoy.

Michael Carney [subscribe@marketingweek.co.nz]

The New Age of Thrift
It's also becoming clear that the economic troubles have brought about a seismic shift in consumer attitudes. If you're of a certain age (okay if you're a Gen Xer or a Baby Boomer) you'll probably recall the thriftiness of your grandparents and others who'd grown up in Depression times.

Guess what -- thrift is back, with a vengeance and with a super-powered secret weapon.
Twelve months ago our research was telling us that the majority of consumers expected to go back to their free-spending ways once the economy rebounded. In 2010, that's no longer the case. Thrift is the new black. No longer is it shameful to negotiate the cheapest price, to shop around, to cut a deal. In fact now it's clever, wise and astute to know where the best discounts are.

But it's thrift with a new-generation spin. In earlier times, when you wanted to be thrifty self-denial was the safest form of action. The catchcry: "you can't afford it".

Nowadays? See something you like but shouldn't really buy? To practise thrift 2010-style, turn to the web.
Turn to Trade Me first, in case someone's selling similar items for much less.

No joy there? Next stop Google, searching for the item by name to see who's listing it cheaply -- or perhaps Facebook, asking your friends if anyone knows where to find stuff at the best price.

Consumers today also spend a lot more time researching online, even if they eventually end up buying in a bricks and mortar store. Depending on the product category, they might look at product review or comparison sites (eg TripAdvisor for travel, Amazon for books, PriceSpy.co.nz for computer equpment), search for positive/negative comments on Twitter, ask their Facebook friends for feedback, look for videos on YouTube or just Google "+widget +reviews". If the information is out there (and these days it usually is), they'll find it.

Four Discrete Segments
If you're wanting to market to these new thrifty consumers then you need to understand them better.
US firm Decitica Marketing Strategy & Research conducted research in late 2009 that split post-recession consumers into four segments: Steadfast Frugalists (20%), Involuntary Penny-Pinchers (29%), Pragmatic Spenders (29%) and Apathetic Materialists (22%).

• The Steadfast Frugalists (60% female, predominantly Over 40) are the most disciplined in their behaviours and seriously committed to self-restraint. They were probably already considered tightwads even before the recession.
• Involuntary Penny-Pinchers (many 30-49) are the most severely affected -– financially and emotionally -- by the recession. Their new-found frugality for the most part has been forced upon them. Half have not saved any money for emergencies.
• Pragmatic Spenders (58% male, typically 50+) have the greatest capacity –both financial and psychological –to willfully resurrect their past spending patterns. Their approach to spending is tempered with caution; they have cut back and are engaging in thrift like others but seem less troubled by the recession.
• Apathetic Materialists (largely Gen Y) are less perturbed by the recession. They are the least changed in terms of their spending habits and future intentions. It is likely that their relative indifference springs from their life stage –more younger, single people with limited disposable income at the moment.

Trading Down

• Steadfast Frugalists not only engage in coupon-clipping and deal-seeking behaviours with greater frequency but also do so with considerable enthusiasm.
• Involuntary Penny-Pinchers, forced to adopt frugality, shop for discounts and buy store labels quite extensively, but not many of them get pleasure from these activities.
• Pragmatic Spenders and Apathetic Materialists, perhaps motivated by different factors, get the least satisfaction from trading down and clipping coupons.

Money Attitudes

• Steadfast Frugalists and Pragmatic Spenders are the most confident in controlling spending, resisting the temptation to spend now and worry later, save money and stick to a budget.
• Less than half of Involuntary Penny-Pinchers are confident about their abilities when it comes to controlling spending and resisting the temptation to spend now and worry later; only one in three expects to be able to stick to a budget; and less than one in five Involuntary Penny-Pinchers expects to be able to save money in the current economic environment.
• Apathetic Materialists, on the other hand, have the least confidence in successfully restraining themselves (less than 5% expect to do so) -- and they're clearly not at all concerned about the fact.

When asked whether the recession has permanently altered buying behaviour, the strongest feelings were expressed by Steadfast Frugalists and Involuntary Penny-Pinchers. More than half in these two groups agreed that the recession has changed how and what they buy forever.

In terms of actions taken to control spending habits, two-third of Pragmatic Spenders said they are already doing something about it.

Overall, all four segments confess to getting less pleasure from buying things now compared to the time before the recession. Also, what is more telling is that they anticipate this will still be true one year from now.
Apathetic Materialists continue to derive the most gratification from buying, but even this group of consumers has shown a declining interest in materialistic consumption.

Impulse Buying Down
The drop in impulse buying is quite stark for all segments, particularly for Involuntary Penny-Pinchers (down from 61% to 25%).

Apathetic Materialists continue to be the most impulsive in their purchases, with 40% saying they expect to buy on impulse even one year from now.

Steadfast Frugalists, while not that spontaneous to begin with, have become even less so.

How Much?
Price has become the dominant consideration in the purchase of all kinds of products.

What is of considerable significance is the fact that half of Pragmatic Spenders are looking at price before other features and one-third say that brand name products are not worth the extra price, heralding what will likely be a long uphill struggle by marketers to shift the focus away from price.
Gulp. Welcome back to the Age of Thrift.
Our grandparents are expecting us.

Where's Debbie
Want to meet? Having an event around the time I'm in your area? Get a speaking quote or shoot through an email, call on 64 9 575 5359

Read the last Issue of Business Quick Tips
Become a fan on business Facebook

New? Subscribe Now

No more? Here's the politically correct yada yada yada "Debbie, no more communications please, unsubscribe here {UNSUBSCRIBE_URL)

Published by SuccessIS. Debbie Mayo-Smith International Motivational Business Speaker and Author, 35 Chelmsford Ave, Glendowie, Auckland NZ. Phone 64 9 575 5359. Copyright 2010 SuccesslS. All rights reserved. SuccessIS is committed to protecting your privacy. We do not sell, trade, rent or otherwise disclose any personal information you provide to us.