Blint n° 74 - Julio 2015

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
• understanding how their networks help them under everyday
circumstances, that these networks are an integral part
of women’s lives
• creating cross-platform and customized advertising campaigns
which are different for each vehicle, but always consistent
in terms of the message and contents
• making sure that advertising communicated quality in order
to earn brand trust and build brand loyalty
PERSONAL CARE AND WELL-BEING, PRIMARY VALUES
AND NEEDS
Based on the results of a study conducted by Gfk Eurisko for
Unipro, personal care, well-being and health turn out to be
fundamental values, impervious to the vicissitudes of the
financial crisis. As a matter of fact, personal care, especially
during periods of extreme external tension (economic crisis,
crisis in values, loss of external certainty/security) appears
to represent a concrete way of constructing a positive
(individual) project, endowed with meaning: beginning
with and based on personal care.
The quest for well-being determines the investment (symbolic
and economic) and the way people live. This extends
to all the areas of everyday life, not just consumption and
practices in the area of health, but also in the areas of nutrition,
cosmetics, clothing, automobiles and financial consumption.
Products and communication (advertising) must
therefore be able to interpret and take into account this demand
for well-being.
A bit of data and a few figures regarding the trends of the
last ten years throw light on the evolution of this concept.
“I’m very concerned with my health” (72% of the respondents)
“I’m actively concerned with the way I look, with my image”
(58%, +4% from 2000 to the present day)
“I do my utmost to stay fit and keep a good figure”
(35%, +7% from 2000 to the present day)
“I have periodic check-ups”
(45%, +11% from 2000 to the present day)
“I use face cream on a regular everyday basis”
(43%, +5% from 2000 to the present day)
“I use cosmetic products to enhance the elasticity of my skin”
(31%, +7% from 2000 to the present day)
This data provides a rich source of worthwhile information
that deserves careful analysis. There is an increased propensity
to take action and be responsible for oneself. In recent
years one has witnessed the blossoming of a culture
of active health, more proactive and open to alternative
practices. There is a drop, on the other hand, in fatalism,
lack of active interest and leaving matters up to socalled
professionals. One’s personal appearance and attractiveness
are areas of increased investment and increasingly
serve as means of socialization, not just as ends unto
themselves.
QUALITY AND FAIR PRICING
Fair pricing must never lead to compromises on the quality
front. Quality is always a good deal. The price is a value.
This is a concept that must become engrained, not because
it’s a cliché, but because otherwise one runs the risk of
not respecting his own identity or his own body. Quality
which is accorded to oneself is tantamount to recognition
of one’s own intrinsic worth. Often the term, cheap, as used
by the customer, does not refer to the products or the way
they happen to be displayed (in baskets, for example). It’s
a reflexive attribute, indicating that the store is speaking
to them as if they themselves were cheap. Reversely, and
in parallel, presenting cheap products constitutes a deprecation
of the opinion that women have of themselves. If a
price that is too high puts too much value on a product, a
price that is too low devalues the woman who purchases it.
The customer must always establish (achieve) a balance .
TRUST AND LOYALTY
It is necessary to have tact and a magic touch. Above all,
what is needed is touch.
“It’s the attitude they display that qualifies a sales girl as
friendly and helpful,” the women in the focus group said.
“Courtesy and empathy. A lot depends on the person you
are dealing with, you have to establish a bond of empathy,
a certain closeness.”
Empathy, contact, nearness, a mutual sympathy, understanding,
complicity, intuition and comprehension: these
are all nuanced facets that are looked for in a successful
relationship and in the atmosphere of the store. It takes other
people to make people feel like people. Machines and
things will not do the trick. The products represent a type of
symbol of the recognition that the customer-people confer
on themselves, but if the objectrecognition is confirmed by
another person like the customer, then the value of the acquired
object is automatically augmented. Trust and loyalty
are not directed to a store, but rather to the spirit which
it represents. Touch means having the same sensibility as
the person you are dealing with and transmitting that same
sensibility that you receive. This holds both for people and
for the store-environment. These are things one feels on a
gut level.
THE BEST FOR YOURSELF
Some are able to decide by themselves. Others require assistance.
And others yet are somewhere in between. But
the expectation is the best for yourself. The key, in the final
analysis, is to decide. This decision is more than a material
choice regarding some material object-product. It’s a question
of being true to an image you have of yourself: vis a
vis you, vis a vis your environment (store staff and other
customers), vis a vis your intimate circle and, finally, vis a
vis the world at large.
Decide who you want to be; decide who you are. For you
means something meant for you and in keeping with your
own opinion of yourself. The old slogan that, the customer
is always right, actually means that, the customer should always
be able to follow his or her own inclinations. This is not
a manifestation of seeking external approval; it’s a matter of
internal agreement with one’s deeper feelings. Being right
in this instance doesn’t mean getting the upper hand in a
dispute, but rather being right about who you really are and
having the courage to act upon it. Being right about: your
own motivations, principles, personality and character.
KNOWLEDGE AND ASSISTANCE
“The know me and know what I want”
Knowing the customer, acknowledging the customer,
knowing what the customer wants, understanding what a
customer desires. It’s a matter of establishing a personal relationship.
And since it’s practically impossible to establish
this kind of rapport in a limited amount of time, a great deal
of intuition and understanding are required. Make it known
that you understand, that you realize what the customers
are looking for. More than making an immediate sale, this
is the overarching goal. The customers want to be understood.
The most important skill is to give the impression
that you truly understand what you are doing, and that you
also understand the particular needs of the customer you
are currently dealing with. You should give the impression
that you are dealing with an important individual and not
just another customer. Dedication is a key concept in this
formula: you have to be ready to dedicate time, attention
and care. Someone who is willing to dedicate time just to
you. Devoted only to you. In order that you can devote attention
to yourself. Customized attention. Both from the
sales person and the customer toward herself. Indeed, she
knows herself and what she wants. I know myself and what
I want. The perfect saleswoman identifies with you and is
able to put herself in your shoes.
COURTESY AND KNOW-HOW
Courteous skill and skillful courtesy. Being knowledgeable,
but without flaunting it. Provide tips as if you were divulging
a secret. It’s crucially important to be served in a friendly
manner. A good sales person is someone who advises,
but without being insistent. Never vaunt your knowledge in