EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a new regular column for South King Media, written by Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Andrea Reay: By Andrea H. Reay The old colloquialism “Nothing personal, it’s just business” has long been used to describe the often “dog eat dog” world of our capitalist economy.  However, nothing could be further from the truth.  Did you watch the Super Bowl ads? With the average cost of a 30-second spot going for $5 million dollars, advertisers know they must go with what works to maximize their investment. So, what works in advertising these days? Well, it’s the same thing that has always worked-get personal. As Don Draper once said in Mad Men:

“You are the product. You’re feeling something. That’s what sells.”
Advertisers have long known that business is personal. That to sell a product or service you need a story to tell that’s powerful and meaningful – you need to get personal and use emotion to manage and flex your brand and market to the ever-changing consumer. The trends that we’re now seeing in business and brand awareness suggest a new rise in the level of consumer mindfulness. People are now making purchases and investments, not just on how a product makes them feel, the emotion or sense of nostalgia-but because it aligns with their personal, moral, political or ethical philosophy. Starbucks, Nordstrom, Uber, (just to name a few) have all experienced market fluctuations as consumers adjust or re-adjust their spending to reflect their personal beliefs. What does this new trend mean for business?  It means that businesses – of all sizes – need to realize that if they want to be successful in this new business climate – where emotional, social and personal value is making up a larger and larger part of the pie for why a consumer makes a choice instead of simply functional or conditional value – they need to better understand their target demographic and pivot accordingly. MEMBER TO MEMBER DISCOUNTS! A large part of the work the Chamber provides for members is access to demographic data and research for our region. We also provide counseling and referral services to help our businesses and local economy gain a competitive advantage – including member to member discounts on advertising, like this exclusive coupon for Seattle Southside Chamber members: [caption id="attachment_109960" align="aligncenter" width="464"] To redeem, email vtheresa@comcast.net with “CHAMBER COUPON” as subject line. Must be member of Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce to redeem. Offer expires 4/15/17.[/caption] If current marketing or advertising campaigns aren’t yielding the level of return you’ve planned.  It might be time to rethink not just how you are marketing your business but who you are marketing your business to. And, of course, if you haven’t already- it’s time to get personal.
Andrea H. Reay is the President/CEO of Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce- “A voice for business, a leader in the community.”  Seattle Southside Chamber has served the communities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Tukwila since 1988. For more information about the Chamber, including a full list of member benefits and resources, please visit their website at www.SeattleSouthsideChamber.com.
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