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Discounts Are Subtly Undermining Your Marketing.
Cheapening your brand, misleading your customers, and contributing to consumerism.
A few weeks ago, to my annoyance, I woke up to a flood of Black Friday emails, which continued dripping in at a steady pace throughout the day and the week. I didn’t open a single one.
This stream of brands prostrating themselves on the floor of my inbox, begging for my money, all fell victim to my Archive command.
I moved on with my day, wallet unopened.
In my experience both as a consumer and a marketer, I find discount promotions to be ineffective. As a consumer, I find they cheapen your brand and are less effective than they used to be to get sales. As a marketer, I find they teach customers bad habits and can turn you into a liar — even if not intentionally.
Why do discounts?
If you’re a marketer, you may be rolling your eyes at my naivety. “Discounts drive sales, Zulie,” I can hear you saying with scorn in your voice.
I get it. Discounts exist to offer an incentive: they push the customer to buy now, not tomorrow or next week. They try to sway the customer who thought a water bottle wasn’t worth $50, but that a $50 water bottle might be worth $25 — at half…
