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After two years, it’s finally time to trade in my clunker of a cell phone for something sleek and fun.  Or, at least, something with a QWERTY keyboard.  So I went to my carrier the other day.  We’ll call it Giant Company #1.  To be honest, I’m truly amazed that, after all this time with Giant Company #1, I’ve received no quality marketing from them attempting to lure me to upgrade.  After all, I’m confident they’ve got the databases to inform them my contract’s up. 

I guess my couple hundred a month isn’t all that important to them.

Then I went to Giant Company #2.  I’ve gotten all the marketing in the world from them—mailers, incentives, advertisements, e-mails…you name it.

What’s wrong with this picture?  Has it somehow become easier or more effective to win new customers than keep old ones? 

This is not a new story, but it continues to baffle me.  We use terms like “brand evangelist” or “loyal customer” often, but do we do them justice?  Making a communications or marketing impression on someone who hasn’t truly experienced your product or service is much, much harder and much more expensive than keeping a customer you already have.  How many ads did you really pay attention to today?  But I bet you can tell me something about your phone company, your grocery store, your car.  It’s common sense, and it makes business sense–your marketing, and your brand, starts with your existing customers.

It’s not just the cell phone carriers using this upside-down approach to marketing.  I guess they’ve got the extra money to waste.  For my money, Big Company #1 has a strike against it now.  (And I had to pull the incentives out of the sales person much like pulling teeth.)

Those of you doing well or preparing for the inevitable upcycle in the market—good for you.  Now’s the time to prepare if you can.  But let’s not lose our common sense.  Do what you have to do to keep your existing customers.  CRMs, simple communications, quality account maintenance, even an old-fashioned courtesy visit.  For my money, that’s just Marketing 101.