TV ads may not reach many of your consumers
Jerry Epperson -- Furniture Today, January 25, 2004
You never know where news will appear. I saw a blurb on MSNBC-TV about a European inventor who has integrated a series of braces into a pair of trousers. This allows the wearer to sit anywhere without the need of a chair or any other seating product.
They showed a man in an art gallery who went from standing to sitting with no apparent support. Of course, he looked like a fool, but we live in an age when many people walk around in public apparently talking loudly to themselves. On closer inspection, they have an earpiece and a dangling microphone to their cell phone.
Speaking of television, we hear the new fall 2003 network TV shows have received the worst ratings in many years, with an average of 22% fewer people watching this season than last.
I know I am old. It doesn't bother me that much, but as a card-carrying member of the 77 million baby boom generation, I'm spoiled. Ever since I can remember, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, media and services have targeted me and my fellow boomers. Today, we have more spending power than ever, but TV appears to have abandoned us. If it weren't for cable's History, TV Land, and news channels, I could get rid of the electronic boxes I have in every room.
These days, even I have become bored with my usual fare of "Saturday Night Live," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "CHIPs" and British comedy reruns. More often, TV is just a source of the background noise so necessary for me to get work done. My generation has always despised silence.
My children used TV primarily as a device on which to play video games and, as they grew up, they spent much more time on their computers or audio equipment than focused on the big screen in the corner. Buy an expensive new HDTV? How about someone buying the 10 or so TVs in my homes and cars?
Think about this when you are spending on advertising.
How do you reach today's furniture consumers? Families no longer sit together watching Ed Sullivan on Saturday nights. Look for us on cable or satellite TV channels, or reach us through other ways.
Yes, consumer-electronics furniture is a growth category, both in electronic cabinets and home office, but the amount of time spent with TV may be changing for we older folks. Think about it. Where are you spending your time? How do other industries reach you? "The times they are a' changin'."
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