Steve's blog :
random musings of a professional scribbler

What (else) is in it for me?

Am I wrong, or is the nature of commerce – or more specifically, of consumer expectations – changing? And fast.

Deciding it was time to – finally – ditch my antiquated Toshiba, I set out yesterday to source a new laptop. First (and only) port of call, of course, was the www – in particular, the comparison sites, PC World, Amazon et al.

In other words, the usual suspects.

Price inevitably was a factor. As, of course, was performance: I wanted to get the maximum bang for my buck. And I quickly found two or three alternatives that fit the bill.

The deciding factor then had to be: what else do I get from the deal?

Pre–installed software? Cash back? Loyalty points? An upgrade offer?

Easy payment terms?

Needless to say, my chosen supplier was the company that differentiated itself with a few such ‘finishing touches’.

To my mind, in this increasingly commoditised world, the winners will be those firms who, to paraphrase a recent Siemens campaign, do just that:
offer just a little bit more.

And with "Greasy Palm" – and others of their ilk – taking their online rewards programmes to the High Street, it’s never been easier to augment your product or offer – and maximise your sales.

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