Dissed by Best Buy

[susandennis]

This morning's paper had a story about a new marketing strategy developed by Best Buy. It appears to be a solid, well thought out strategy and one that I've long advocated for any consumer business. It's basically Really Really know who your customer is and serve that customer.

If every business knew who their customer was and marketed to that customer, the world would be a better place. Seriously. No more email telling me how to get hard for my woman. No more unsolicited telephone sales calls. Businesses would understand that I find those things offensive and would never buy anything from a business who did those things.

And, when I want to buy something I would be able to find what I want and stuff I didn't even know I wanted easily and quickly and happily. Because I'd know about places who wanted me for a customer and I'd go there.

Yes, the customer is always right BUT most businesses have no idea who their customer really is. So they are trying to to make right for any yahoo that comes off the street. And their real customers suffer.

Best Buy (thought I'd lost the thread, here, didn't you??!!) has defined 5 customers:

Jill - a busy suburban mom (stores have places for kids)
Buzz - a focused, active younger male
Ray - a family man who likes his technology practical
BB4B - (Best Buy for Business) small business
Barry - affluent professional male

Each Best Buy store will focus on one or two of the above and tailor their store accordingly. And that's so smart. Sure, Buzz ain't going to be happy in a store that is for Jill and Barry, but hey, them's the breaks.

And, guess what? They totally blew off the SusanDennis. I don't want to shop with children so Jill's store is out. Buzz could be my grandson. The Ray store sounds like a snoozer. And, Barry... never mind. The BB4B store, maybe but...

No matter. I have actually been to Best Buy a fair number of times. I'm drawn there because on the surface it seems to have all the cool stuff I love. But, I've rarely found anything there that I was even remotely interested in buying and the stuff I did want? They either didn't carry it or were out. So, they aren't losing a customer, they are just being honest with me. They don't want me and I can live with that... J&R likes me pretty well.