Looking beyond the big picture


colour tv

While on the hunt to replace my TV I spent the obligatory time (hours) investigating options, features, benefits and, of course, competitive pricing.

Using reviews and conversations from similar consumers like me, I assessed the available information along with delivery, retailer expertise, knowledge and support when judging value for money as this purchase decision was going to be put to good and long lasting use.

Furthermore, I also had to prepare for in-house scrutiny(!) so justification and a credible argument were necessary to support my decision. This marvellous tool would deliver information, education, comedy, communication (with internet access) and a level of future proofing so I could add new features and improve the service even more.

With Black Friday I tried bargain hunting but as I had confirmed the brief I was working to knew that would only help me negotiate with the supplier I finally settled on.

But who cares about my choice of TV? No one really but I know I’m not alone in going through these deliberate stages when making a purchase decision on items beyond a certain cost – if only money really were no object! On a day-to-day basis we face numerous similar decisions in the workplace and the parallels with personal shopping are there to be recognised and highlighted.

When new services and tools become accessible we look at what benefits they can bring against the investment required. If there were no innovations we’d still be using the telegraph to send press releases or going by horse to our next meetings. We all like to think we make informed and educated choices but should be mindful not to close our minds to new opportunities, new suppliers and new sources. For me social media hasn’t stopped at Friends Reunited, Facebook or Twitter, I evangelise to clients the need to be open to new research solutions as the pressure of justifying marketing and PR ROI increases. In a fast evolving environment many now accept they have to look beyond social listening tools for strategic data analysis to create insights that can help understand consumers and thereby diversify and strengthen their offerings.

There will always be early adopters for new tools and technologies, trend-setters for others to follow and new brands adopting disruptive methods to challenge the status quo while others maintain a more conservative watch and learn brief as they trail behind. Make the same effort for decisions in your work life as you would in your private time because ultimately don’t you want to improve your environment, see progress and enjoy any personal benefits they bring? For me it’s all about what seeing a better picture can do for me…

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