Getting consumers to think and shop

Allstate promotional campaign attempts to get customers to stop and shop

Customer loyalty is a goal for businesses.  Instead of spreading their money around, loyal customers spend more over time with their beloved businesses and products.

Loyal customers tend to stay loyal until given a reason not to be loyal.  Unfortunately, businesses too often deliver those reasons themselves through multiple methods such as disappointing products, bad service and high pricing.

However, what if those loyal customers aren't yours?

Allstate has a current promotional campaign encouraging consumers to take a moment to think about their insurance and shop around.  Obviously, Allstate hopes that such shopping will lead customers to them.

I realize the ad's tag line is "Shop less, save more" -- Allstate wants you to shop until you find them and then you can stop shopping.  

Why wait until Black Friday?

Fighting for early consumer holiday spending in a poor economy.

Traditionally, Black Friday marked the start of the holiday shopping season... but that's now in the past. It's early November and the promotions to attract 2011 holiday spending dollars have already begun.  A variety of business types are already doing it -- Home Depot, Glade, ebay, Kmart -- and more will start soon.

Via television commercials, websites, print ads, social media, and discounts, businesses are already vying for this year's holiday consumer spending that is projected to be lower due to economic conditions.  Businesses worry that if they wait too long to attract shoppers, consumers will spend their limited holiday dollars elsewhere.