Let Me Out of This Box!

I've been trying to decide what niche I want to discuss in this blog. Do I want to be a consumer and talk about products that I like and don't? Do I want to be a social media/marketing consultant and analyze trends that are currently happening? Or, do I want to blog as a Gen Y'er, Domestic Bliss'er, and chat about the new LA life in which I lead. For that I say...

...LET ME OUT OF THE BOX!

I, like all of you, fill many roles. I am a wife in my late 20s. Some things I buy just to buy.  Some things interest me for no reason at all. And... sometimes, I am able to use my social media and marketing skills to evaluate companies or products and give expert advise. Ergo, I will probably be blogging from all of these perspectives, but I will be happy to categorize for your interests. 

I'm sure that all you bloggers have come to this point...what is my boundary? What can I talk about? Who are my readers and (for companies) who are my customers? 

Well people, we are many profiles with varied interests that can change on a whim. So as a marketer, traditionally, I should say know your customer. What are the demographics? What box can you fit your consumer/reader in so that you can angle your message toward your interested party? But as a modern working professional in the most interesting (to me) and quickly evolving industry, who is also a wife, Gen Y'er, a country born, yet city dwelling girl that communicates on 15 platforms at once, I simply say... 

...there is no longer a box! Oh, don't look like I just said that there is no Santa Clause, because there is!  

When creating your message there are parameters in which to consider: youthful message vs. retiree message, what problem does your product solve, etc, but things have changed.  The true, bombastic personality that seeps from every crevice of a brand is much more appealing than changing the personality of the brand to fit the consumer.  Messages are no longer in a controlled environment in magazines, business publications, or newsletters. Once content is generated (printed, uploaded, photographed) it can be served up to anyone, anywhere.  

Brands...be confident, be steadfast, and be meaningful and you won't have to make your customers fit in a box. 

Does your Product make your Mama proud?

There are so many products on the market that are me-too products...products that are a replication of someone else’s idea with slight tweaks in the design as to not infringe on the trademark of the original.  I’m not saying that sometimes ideas can’t be improved with new versions, but when the category is full and doesn’t need another hair dryer, shampoo, or cracker think of something that will can actually excite a consumer and provide something innovative.  

So, my question to all of you early stage business owners is Does your product make your mama proud?  Are you as excited and passionate about your creation /your product as you were once of your first drawing, first personalized outfit creation, or first time you created a recipe? Do you want to run to your mama and display the results proudly?   

In my experiences, the kind of products that really take off, that fill or create a niche, and continue to build support over time, are those created by the zany, over zealous, passionate entrepreneurs that love their idea “aka baby” and want to share it with the world.  In a time when store shelves are being clenched by the economy and retailers are minimizing the amount of SKUs in which they carry altogether, it is imperative to not create a good, but a great product.

(Disclaimer: mama is a commonly used phrase in the South.  I promise to not center all posts around Southern subjects, but limit the Southernness to moderate flares :)