One of our Fusionhappens, Bruce Woodstrom, was catching up with long time pals, Susan and Al Sipe. Bruce has this thing for the Zig Zag, a quiet and venerated bar between Seattle’s Pike Place Market and the waterfront.  Also home to Murray, Seattle’s favorite bartender. Recently, Susan has been asking a lot of questions about Social Marketing. She’s responsible for marketing many hundreds of new condos in premier buildings represented by Williams Marketing, a regional legend in condo sales.  Midway through their second round of cocktails (Murray’s Old Fashions are seductively good), Bruce noticed a group in the next booth.  Mixed ages, mixed genders, mixed ethnicities.  A perfect sampling of the metropolitan condo audience.  Here they were, face-to-face, and each member in the chatty group was also riveted to their iPhone or Blackberry.  “Those are your buyers, Susan,” noted Bruce, “and look how they’re connecting.”  Being the ultimate student of marketing, Susan seized the opportunity to join the table next door and conduct an impromptu focus group on the media habits.  The conclusion: it’s all about the “three screens”! If you want to reach the future (meaning this afternoon) buyer, you need to engage them on one of their three screens:  the iPhone, Blackberry or cell phone — always with them; their computer — where they spend the most time; or their television — where you can only conduct a one way conversation.

So, my question of the day is:  why the heck do so many of you still insist on dumping all those budgets on ineffective newspapers and glossy magazine ads?

Maybe it’s time to find your own local Zig Zag and conduct some person-to-person market research.

Results may vary.

Image by Free-StockPhotos.com