2010
Finally, a makeover that doesn’t involve a new wardrobe or some silly popularity contest. Nine businesses are being provided $5000 of marketing services, plus a year of expert counseling and professional guidance to take their business from the shadows to the spotlight. Project Rev has been put into place by Deluxe (you know, the check company?) and you visit their website to get the entire rundown on this pretty cool challenge. Follow along as these companies go through a year-long transformation and read more about the project here. It appears that the public will get to follow along as the businesses are blogging about the changes and impact this project is having on their business. If you sit and consider these stories, make sure to note some of their challenges, as they just might give you some ideas to help your own business.
Talking with a local merchant today, I asked, “Are you on Twitter?” She blushed a little, then replied, “No, me and my business partner are just too busy running this place to keep up with stuff like that. But we do other marketing, like sending out emails.” On the counter, certainly out of eye-shot of the usual customer, was an “email sign up sheet”, curled pages and all. Even the general observer would be able to tell this thing was, (1)not being shared with every potential customer, (2)was not being databased, and (3)was not being used. (You see, my entry from 4 months ago was still there and I’ve yet to receive an email from them.) At that point, I was struck with the realization that while I might be a good geeky juggler, some business owners are more than a little bugged out with the thought of adding a new marketing task to their otherwise nutso day. I get it – but then again, I don’t get it. These same entrepreneurs waste time every day on tasks that bring them no closer to their customers, and some tasks that should be abandoned altogether. Their service is strong, but their outreach is weak. They’ll spend money on ads and junk mail, (what I consider very passive, shallow marketing) but not put a little sweat equity into new media? Plus, they’re not taking advantage of some really amazing tools on the web today.
Part of a new initiative I’ve embarked on this year is 
for another time. This summer, I had occasion to interview her and several of her teen friends, also avid shoppers. The girls are: Becca, 16; Lucy, 15; Sam, 16; and Cat, 16, all residents of Boulder County, Colorado. The feedback is revealing, but a little disappointing at the same time. The conclusion? Many merchants are missing out on the opportunity to create loyal customers by disregarding market competition and the power of the youth dollar. Another discovery is how cost-conscious these shoppers are; they look for deals more aggressively when they’re footing the bill and they have little tolerance for pushy store clerks. Retailers, are you listening?
