Enough Credit Crunch Already!!!!

BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH - ORDER YOUR SUMMER BBQ NOW!
AVOID THE CREDIT CRUNCH - FLY TO SPAIN!
EASE YOUR CREDIT CRUNCH WOES - EAT SOME MARMITE!

It's getting ridiculous. Come on people, we know times are tough, but focussing on people's insecurities to make them buy stuff just feels sneaky and underhanded.

And why is it that my supermarket is littered with hundreds of "buy one, get one free" offers but almost nothing for half price. I don't need a second bottle of Head and Shoulders. For my slap headed noggin, one bottle will last well into the next time something cheery happens in Eastenders, and that's a bloody long time.

Then there's your budget supermarkets. Can you believe that there are still some people who believe that there is a greater stigma attached to shopping at Lidl than there is to being skint? I don't shop at Lidl, but it's only because they only ever seem to have one cashier serving 57 people, which means that most of my food will have hit its sell by date long before I get home.

So how does all of this relate to promotional merchandise? (Meena, you can stop reading now - yes it's true, my colleague will only read up to the point where I start talking about work and then she switches off. Be fair though, she is very small).

The problem is that more and more of our customers are becoming price sensitive. Creativity, loyalty and good service seem to have all taken a back seat to low low prices. It's understandable, but surely the smart companies out there need and want a little more from their providers.

I don't want to become the Lidl of the merchandising world. When it comes to service, you really do get what you pay for. Sure, there is no merchandise I can get you that other companies can't, but some of them will give you a catalogue and ask you to pick what you like. That hardly seems fair - they want you to do half the work but are they going to give you half their salary?

When this credit crunch ends and we all look back and laugh, the companies that invested wisely in their people will be the ones that are still around. They won't be scratching their heads wondering where the hell all the money went.

So here is a little test for you. Say this sentence to yourself. "People will always need....." and insert what it is you do at the end. Is it true? For the initiated amongst you, the answer should be a resounding yes. So now say this one - "People will always need MY........" same reaction? If not, you're not thinking about yourself in a positive light, and I'd be prepared to bet a week's worth of Lidl groceries (£2.65) that you're not marketing yourself properly either.

So put that catalogue down and stop looking for the cheapest item you can get with the lowest minimum order quantity. I'll save you some time. The lowest minimum order quantity is none - if you don't want them, don't buy them. Guess what the cheapest price is...that's right - zero, and for all the same reasons. If you want some really great idea to help you market yourselves in times of trouble then just pick up the phone or drop me a line. I'm here to give you a Harrods quality service at an Aldi price.

You see, you don't need to just survive the credit crunch, you need to make your business grow and thrive. But then, wasn't that always the case anyway?