I just happened upon an article that is not only written by a company whose logo bears a striking resemblance to a slice of our own, but contains some well articulated truths about one of the ways marketing is being affected by the digital cultural shift we find ourselves in.

In the recent past, as the article suggests, it was the norm for marketers to tell consumers stories about themselves. When life was about keeping up with the Jones's, telling us that the Jones's want what they sold and we should, too, was basically enough. But, as the article asserts, we are increasingly less concerned with what the masses have and more concerned with niche products and services that fit our unique wants. This shift is powerfully supported by our present ability to get information about niche interests and needs like never before, via the Internet. Within the vast community of the World Wide Web, we find others using the same products or services we're interested in, so we can find out about them and research them in unprecedented ways. But as we've turned to virtual communities for information about these niche interests, we've come to trust them immensely, often more than the marketers themselves. I'm pretty sure I've blogged here before about the rising percentage of consumers who consistently research significant purchases online instead of in person — like reading several user reviews of a Toyota Camry before ever considering an actual test drive. Thus, when we hear advertising messages from marketers, our instinct is increasingly to go corroborate what we've heard with stories from consumers like us. The article puts it pretty well:

As more brands (have to) go niche and therefore tell stories that aren't known to the masses, and as experiences and non-consumption-related expenditures take over from physical (and more visible) status symbols, consumers will increasingly have to tell each other stories to achieve a status dividend from their purchases. Expect a shift from brands telling a story, to brands helping consumers tell status-yielding stories to other consumers.

What a fascinating thing to say: "Expect a shift... to brands helping consumers tell status-yielding stories to other consumers." But I'd argue the shift isn't just in who's delivering the message, but it's also in the content of the message itself. As consumers, we're moving from a sales-pitch mentality to a narrative mentality. So if you're an awesome Milwaukee ad agency like Meyer & Wallis, you see double opportunity here. I'll explain.

First, we excel at telling stories. That's what much of the best advertising has always done — given the consumer a narrative picture of what their world would be like with you in it. I'd argue that, given our vast experience and exemplary creative department, we get this better than virtually any full service advertising agency our size.

But second, our understanding of interactive media and online advertising strategies are second to none. Our VP of Interactive is one of the most forward thinkers when it comes to utilizing digital media, and I'm not just talking about websites. Several of our recent campaigns demonstrate there are plenty of ways to use digital media to get your message out, including, in more than one instance, giving consumers a chance to tell their stories on behalf of clients.

And when these two competencies are married into one integrated campaign, our results are consistently remarkable and measurable.

So check out the article linked above. The trend they're talking about is very real. If you have the slightest suspicion that your ad agency doesn't get how to use digital media for all it's worth, maybe you should give us a call.

Sometimes you build market share by taking it from the other guys. At other times, however, your potential market may remain largely untapped. This almost always happens at the introduction of entirely new products — like the television or the iPod — when almost all of your potential customers would be first time buyers. But recently, a cunning retailer realized it was happening right under his nose with a product almost as old as civilization itself.

Winemaker E&G Gallo did some research on behalf of Food Lion, and found that 75% of Americans find the wine department at their local supermarket completely overwhelming. And since the remaining 25% of savvy shoppers accounted for 68% of total wine sales, Food Lion realized this was a market that had real growth potential. So they and E&G Gallo conducted some research and developed some in-store merchandising designed to educate and empower their shoppers. The result? Wine sales are way up, of course!

Sometimes the best solution to a problem is the most obvious one. But how come no one with shelves and shelves of wine thought of this before? Because sometimes the most obvious solutions aren't the most obvious. Strange, but true.

When it comes to marketing in retail, Meyer&Wallis has done it all. From national name brands to scrappy local competitors, we know how to reach potential customers where they're at. And, since "where they're at" is increasingly online, I should mention that our online advertising strategies are so cutting edge, we've even taken out a trademark on one of our concepts. Wherever your potential customers are, Meyer & Wallis can find them. Even if they're in a place so obvious it hurts.