Instead of Starting to Do It Right, Let's Stop Doing it Wrong

I was listening to an interview with a retail manager at Macy's on NPR's Marketplace on my way home last week. They were discussing their new marketing strategy, which was in essence – listening to consumers, tracking what they purchased and holding events that were customized to the local demographic. Or, in other words, "looking for other ways to stand out...retailers are tailoring products to local shoppers."

In short, this particular Macy's had started to think and act like a community member instead of a mega corp. Fine and good, but what strikes me as odd is that we're talking about this strategy as if it's something new. If large corporations are just thinking of this strategy now (despite the fact that companies have been doing this for ages, not to mention the fact that the web is founded on customization) then...well shit, I'm at a loss for words.

It's time we, as consumers, demand more and we, as brand partners, help clients understand that the brand experience goes beyond logo and brand personality. It needs to be integrated into all facets of the business model from sourcing to web functionality to business process to how easy it is to open a package.