So here we are, deep in the awards season. Is it just me, or are there an increasing number of awards that seem to be announced in advance ” x is going to be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the y awards tomorrow”?
I’ve observed something similar in the news as well – lots of stories in the morning news tell me about what someone is going to do or say later in the day. More and more it seems people need to tell us what is going to happen later, and the only example I could find to the contrary is the TV weather forecast where they seem to spend an increasing amount of time telling us what has already happened!
Perhaps this is related to that psychological phenomenon of Instant Gratification – apparently we are all getting more and more impatient; we want things right now, not at some point in the future. One downside of this shift in our expectations is the gowth of personal debt, but it has undoubtedly changed the way many people buy and consume products and services.
It’s probably worth checking whether our marketing has moved with this trend? Do we make our audiences work hard to get something from us? Does it take longer to find out information from us? How quickly do we respond to enquiries?
Alternatively, can we make a virtue out of waiting – can we create an expectation that we have something that’s worth waiting for (and deliver on that promise of course!)? Most of us accept that in some products and services customisation takes a little time, fresh can be better than pre-prepared.
As is often the case, there isn’t a right or wrong way to do things, but it is important to recognise changing customer expectations and consciously decide how to respond.
Best wishes,
Chris