You Sleep When You Die

Yes, there are some heavy pressures on some consumers right now.
Yes, there is a lot of uncertainty in our economy as a whole, and in the retail sector particularly.
Yes, there are far fewer discretionary dollars for consumers to spend than there were a few years ago.
But I don’t believe that any of this means that consumers are now destined to be permanently wary of anything but store brands and coupon-driven purchases.

Here’s an experiment for anyone paying serious dollars to a US advertising agency.
1) Print out this blog and take it to your next meeting with your agency; circle the previous paragraph.
2) Ask your agency representative to read that sentence out loud.
3) Ask whether he or she agrees.
4) Take cover, because unless you are working with Zimmerman, the odds are that you are about to be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of bullshit.

October 3 marks the beginning of National Customer Service Week, an annual event sponsored, since 1991, by the Customer Service Group. This special week is designed to encourage companies in all industries to reward their very best customer service reps by launching celebrations that shine a spotlight on best practices…As we enter National Customer Service Week, I want to ask you: What company is your hero when it comes to customer service — and why?

Notice that I’m not talking about the Target brand, but the Missoni fashion brand. The designer has now created two Missoni brands for its merchandise, each in deep conflict with the other: “Upscale Missoni” and “Missoni for Target.” But the same brand is supposedly driving both experiences! Something’s got to give.

I want to pose a larger question for readers of this blog: Was this marriage of a luxury brand and a low-end distribution channel a good idea or a strategic mistake?