Be Relevant

I guess it’s that time of the year; the end of the year which promises us the end of the “old” and the beginning of the “new.” These demarcations must be important otherwise we wouldn’t wish each other “Happy New Year” and say things like: “Best wishes for health happiness and prosperity in The New Year.”

In many respects, it is good to get the old year behind us. 2010 wasn’t very kind to us and we eagerly await 2011 with its aura of a “new start.”

But what will you be starting anew?

Will it be the same old league structures and open play programs or will it be something more inviting, exciting and fun?

Will it be the same old open play programs or will it be new programs that offer people a way to identify with programs that are relevant to them?

It has been said that “you are what you eat.” If that be the case, than I think “you are what you buy.”

Today, people want their buying habits to reflect their values, as indicated by the surging interest in farmers markets and local clothing designers. Wouldn’t it stand to reason than that bowling, at retail, needs to reflect people’s values too?

What are some of those values?

As reported by a recent consumer study, people want to be viewed as:
• Savvy shoppers who understand that getting good “quality” products and services are more important than getting a “quantity” of products.
• Contemporary Traditionalists who want their home, its furnishings and the accouterments that go with it to reflect their sense of style, taste and values.
• Individualists who want to be uniquely different, but not SO different that they are viewed as “weird or strange.”
• Successful people who are fulfilling their social, economic, family and spiritual needs.
• Optimistic about their future. (Recent consumer confidence studies have spiked in the past two months with more than 74% of respondents saying they are indeed optimistic about their future. This is up from 48% reported in November of 2009).

So maybe 2011 will be better than 2010.

But it is up to you to prove that your products are relevant to today’s view of how people see themselves. Or to create new products that achieve the same result.

In 2011; the mantra is “be relevant or go away.”