“We’re the ‘I don’t care’ generation, remember? We don’t care as much about paying bills. Give us colour and bigger fonts. The amount due and due date should be big with colour and be the most noticeable thing on the statement - that’s the only thing we read.”
Quote from a typical young adult.

Marketing departments love demographics; especially age demographics. They analyze the lifestyles and buying habits of age-groups to maximize both product and promotion. Although the North American baby-boomer (to be discussed in a future blog) has been the dominant cohort for a half-century, their offspring have become a major force in the current retail market. This is especially true in the telecommunication industry.

When it comes to customer statements, I noticed that the three young adults in my life have a very different perspective. They rarely open bank statements and other transaction documents sent to them. When they do, they have difficulty understanding what they are trying to communicate. This results in over-due cellular or credit card payments. This led me to do a bit of research within the industry to find out if I have a handle on this.

Read the rest of this entry »

On a dreary, hot and humid day last week, I picked my mail as usual from the mailbox, threw it on the kitchen’s table and boringly sifted through it while chewing on an apple. Electricity bill, utilities bill, a touch of direct mail, something from the bank, my cellular bill, a reminder from the dentist. YAWN.

If our universe was indeed interconnected, as in the world of Douglas Adams’ holistic detective Dirk Gently, then some marketing guy responsible for customer communications in my communication service provider’s headquarters should have sat up in his chair,at that exact moment, as if slapped on the wrist. He just wasted a chance to speak to ME, his valued long time customer, and tell me how much he values my longtimeliness. Or how much he wants me to learn about his company’s exciting new promotions, or about the ways I could save a little bit of cash on my next month’s bill by choosing a slightly more personalized monthly price plan.

Read the rest of this entry »