One of the mixed blessings of living through your 50’s and into your 60’s is having “senior citizen” status as one of your titles, even if you neither need nor desire it. Approaching such an age, I have learned that senior status is a marketplace phenomenon. Personally, I have been eligible for an AARP Card for nearly a decade, even though I have no more desire to retire today than I did then. It seems as if every trip to the mailbox finds another offer eager to give me the discounts to which I am entitled.
Should I really buy a movie ticket for $3 less than my kids? Why? Just because I can still maintain a pulse? I think that the marketers in this world have gotten it completely backwards. Recognizing the lifetime value of a loyal customer, shouldn’t we be offering the inducements to the youngest generation entering the process of establishing households? Just as members of this demographic are the leaders of tomorrow, they also represent the future of large ticket purchases, such as flooring.
Would it not make more sense to offer a discount to someone under 35 years old that has the potential of being a long term customer, rather than to someone who is perhaps making one of their last flooring purchases? Is anyone in your marketplace using a similar promotion? If not, this could provide a low cost opportunity to stand out in a crowded field.
As one who is playing life’s back nine, I say give the price break to the kids. In today’s world, they’re the ones who really need it.
Tom Jennings
