Maybe it’s time to start a dialog about the concept of “Loyalty” as it relates to the business of business.

Written on December 30, 2011 at 4:33 pm, by Bart Foreman

We are seeing an increasing amount of web chatter at Loyalty360.org about the value of loyalty marketing programs. It reminds me of the old trading stamp programs like Gold Bond and S&H Green Stamps that were popular for three decades. They vanished rather quickly. Loyalty programs won’t die because there is too much invested in them, but we believe that in 2012 the marketing focus has to radically change.

As we close the year we will leave you with two quick thoughts:

Customers are not loyal and loyalty programs do not make them loyal.
Customers do not want a “relationship.” We do; they don’t.

Have a Happy New Year and get ready to rock.

Women’s shoes as an economic barometer.

Written on December 28, 2011 at 11:52 am, by Bart Foreman

Thanks to those of you who answered [Wednesday’s] blog question about the correlation between women’s heel heights and the economy. We definitely had some interesting responses and the results are not what you might expect; in fact, it is an inverse relationship. The IBM research shows that in an economic downturn, heel heights historically go up and stay up. Low heeled flapper shoes in the Roaring 20s were replaced with high heel pumps and platforms during the Great Depression. Platforms were revived during the 1970s oil crisis, reversing the preference for low-heeled sandals in the late 1960s. More recently, the low, thick heels of the 90s grunge period gave way to “Sex and the City” inspired stilettos following the dot-com bust at the turn of the century.

Today, bloggers are noting a decrease in heel height as we end 2011. Is it a hopeful sign or a shift to a mood of long-term austerity evolving among consumers? We will see.

Can women’s shoes predict the economy? Weigh in

Written on December 21, 2011 at 8:00 am, by Bart Foreman

According to Susan Reda, editor of nrf.com, they can. She cites research from IBM Global Business Services that draws a distinct correlation between the height of women’s shoes and economic upturns and downturns. So here’s the question: Does the height of women’s heels go up or down in economic downturns? Share with us your answers via Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ comments or by tagging us on Twitter (@group3marketing). You can also share via email at info@group3marketing.com. Just be sure to submit them before we provide you the answer on Wednesday December 28th at noon.

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