In the late 1970s in England, a band emerged that did not fit in the box.
They were a three piece made up of a guitar player, drummer and a bass player who often played a strange upright bass. To make them even more unusual, they were highly accomplished musicians with less than stellar voices and their music was a blend of Reggae, Punk and 50s American influence. Their first hit was about a prostitute and her would-be boyfriend.
Soon they were playing as opening acts for the big stars that were the picture of successful corporate rock, but the sounds were completely incongruent. The little band had a way with its audience — it drew them in with its music and made them dance. You simply had no choice.
By 1983, The Police were themselves the picture of success. They sold the same product — rock ‘n roll — but they attracted the socially conscious, the reggae partiers, lovers of great song writing and straight-up rock and rollers with one product, one sound.
So why the music trivia lesson? For several years you may have noticed a trend in the supply chain. It is sort of like the 1977 version of the Police. It has lots of potential, but it is trying to figure out what its audience wants and it is not afraid to make mistakes. Many of these ‘Indie’ parts suppliers have hit the remix button on the types or the ways they offer their products.
I get calls on a fairly regular basis from younger men who would like to have some hot rod part installed on their vehicle. More often than not, these potential customers have already purchased the part in questions from a website that specializes or purports to specialize in a narrow niche — like a particular model of a vehicle or a particular part of the vehicle.
Often, I find the information on these sites technically inaccurate, but the sites have a good portion of the recipe sorted out. The sites have a colorful and informative design and properly address their young target audience by spotlighting value and individuality. In many cases they offer packages that can be purchased and installed in steps to meet various budgets. Most importantly for their intended audience, the sites detail what their products do and how they works. They offer convenient ways to purchase a product immediately and there is really no need to work with another human being beyond the possibly of an email or an anonymous product forum or blog. The owners of these sites are, for the most part, about the same age as their customers, so this happens pretty organically for them.
What if you are one of those staple, bread-winning, arena rock bands from the 70s? Can you really afford to take a chance on royalties from the oldies stations playing the same old tune? What if brick-and-mortar parts suppliers created niche sites for products that are backed by their extensive experience, but also have information about the products’ design, use and implementation? What if you had a site that represented engine oil and offered the actual correct information for vehicles with specific needs along with an explanation of what you get and why you need it?
A non-traditional market is out there to emulate, collaborate or otherwise help to expand your customer base or, as Sting would put it, “Giant steps are what you take, Walkin’ on the Moon.”
In the late 1970s in England, a band emerged that did not fit in the box.
They were a three piece made up of a guitar player, drummer and a bass player who often played a strange upright bass. To make them even more unusual, they were highly accomplished musicians with less than stellar voices and their music was a blend of Reggae, Punk and 50s American influence. Their first hit was about a prostitute and her would-be boyfriend.
Soon they were playing as opening acts for the big stars that were the picture of successful corporate rock, but the sounds were completely incongruent. The little band had a way with its audience — it drew them in with its music and made them dance. You simply had no choice.
By 1983, The Police were themselves the picture of success. They sold the same product — rock ‘n roll — but they attracted the socially conscious, the reggae partiers, lovers of great song writing and straight-up rock and rollers with one product, one sound.
So why the music trivia lesson? For several years you may have noticed a trend in the supply chain. It is sort of like the 1977 version of the Police. It has lots of potential, but it is trying to figure out what its audience wants and it is not afraid to make mistakes. Many of these ‘Indie’ parts suppliers have hit the remix button on the types or the ways they offer their products.
I get calls on a fairly regular basis from younger men who would like to have some hot rod part installed on their vehicle. More often than not, these potential customers have already purchased the part in questions from a website that specializes or purports to specialize in a narrow niche — like a particular model of a vehicle or a particular part of the vehicle.
Often, I find the information on these sites technically inaccurate, but the sites have a good portion of the recipe sorted out. The sites have a colorful and informative design and properly address their young target audience by spotlighting value and individuality. In many cases they offer packages that can be purchased and installed in steps to meet various budgets. Most importantly for their intended audience, the sites detail what their products do and how they works. They offer convenient ways to purchase a product immediately and there is really no need to work with another human being beyond the possibly of an email or an anonymous product forum or blog. The owners of these sites are, for the most part, about the same age as their customers, so this happens pretty organically for them.
What if you are one of those staple, bread-winning, arena rock bands from the 70s? Can you really afford to take a chance on royalties from the oldies stations playing the same old tune? What if brick-and-mortar parts suppliers created niche sites for products that are backed by their extensive experience, but also have information about the products’ design, use and implementation? What if you had a site that represented engine oil and offered the actual correct information for vehicles with specific needs along with an explanation of what you get and why you need it?
A non-traditional market is out there to emulate, collaborate or otherwise help to expand your customer base or, as Sting would put it, “Giant steps are what you take, Walkin’ on the Moon.”