Something Wicked This Way Comes

What's Brewing

It's a Saturday night in a tiny town in West Tennessee. The longest car you can imagine pulls into Patterson's Grocery in Middleton. We walked out carrying what looked like a small refrigerator.

Nope. It was a VCR.

If you're under 35, we used to rent the VCR before we rented the movie. Those things weighed about 175 pounds, had enough buttons to launch a spaceship, and took two people to carry it.

Then came the real battle, hooking it up to a TV the size of my truck. It always guaranteed hearing a few sentence enhancers. It seemed like it was the only night we ever got to drink a Coke so it was a special occasion.

My sisters always wanted to rent Savannah Smiles.

I always wanted Something Wicked This Way Comes.

That probably tells you everything you need to know about me.

Unfortunately for me, there were more of them than there were of me, so guess which movie we watched almost every single time?

The Apple Dumpling Gang always came in second.

I didn't actually get to watch Something Wicked This Way Comes until I was an adult.

Breakfast with Brandy

Looking back, that little argument in a dark grocery store - slash - fishing tackle store - slash - movie rental place (with a red curtain room) taught me something about marketing.

We all walked into the same store.

We all had the same movies to choose from.

But we weren't looking for the same thing.

My sisters wanted something sweet and heartwarming.

I wanted mystery, adventure, and something a little different.

Businesses make this mistake every day. They try to create one message that appeals to everyone. The problem is your customers don't all want the same movie.

Some are looking for the cheapest option.

Some want the fastest service.

Some want quality.

Some want someone they trust.

The businesses that win are the ones that know exactly who they're talking to instead of trying to convince everyone.

Marketing Bite

When you try to market to everyone, your message becomes as forgettable as the movie trailer before the feature presentation.

Know your audience. Speak to what they came looking for.

Take Home the Bacon

This week, ask yourself one question:

If your business were a movie on the shelf, would your ideal customer recognize it was made just for them?