Marina Maher Communications

A few weeks ago my buddy asked to come over and help him put together some patio furniture. The promise: with the two of us, it shouldn’t take long. Really? Three hours later (and one trip home to get my can of WD-40 and power screwdriver), we were done. Phew.

All that time turning screws provided me an opportunity to think. It was no small step for my friend to purchase that furniture. He’d been waiting over 18 months to pull the trigger. During that time, he was content to make do with his aging outdoor set. With a little patching here and there, and some prayers that his larger friends didn’t choose the fragile chair, he made it through. Like many of us, the economy just wasn’t right to write a check that could wait.

This month, he decided to take the plunge. My friend knew he had squeezed as many miles as he could out of those durables. He pushed the limit. There are many other folks out there who are at the same point now. People who have pent-up demand for replacing the borderline “necessities” that they’ve held off on buying as the stock market went south, jobs more tenuous and bonus money a quaint notion.

As a marketer, I observed my friend as he made his move back into the high ticket market. He didn’t go in lightly. He did his research. He looked at dozens of retail websites, scanned peer review lists, read blogs, talked to friends, and prepared to ask hard questions. When he arrived at Costco, he was ready to negotiate and, as a result, actually improved his bargain. He even arranged for some cheap labor … me.

My friend is not unlike many new consumers slowly returning to the market. They are transformed. Informed. Empowered. Ready to deal. Looking to make purchases that will last.

In public relations, credibility is everything. When I started at MMC, they asked me to divulge some fun facts about myself. Amongst those was a question about “who were you inspired by?” I answered, “My grandmother. She was one of Europe’s first female motorcycle stunt drivers.” There were a few skeptical looks.
So, I wanted make sure my credibility remains pristine. Here’s a photo of Betty Plant (aka The Blond Bombshell) with her partner, Cyclone Danny Carter, in 1933 outside of London. The youngest of a large family, she was also the rebel. She became a stunt driver in her teenage years. Her fame came from flying her Triumph bike through burning houses and riding down a tiny ramp from the roof of Wembley stadium to do spectacular jumps. I think it is safe to assume there weren’t nearly the safety precautions in place then that they have now to protect the Robbie Knievels of the world (someone we engaged for our award-winning Dawn program at MMC).
My grandmother was featured in all the major magazines of the day, as well as on the newsreels that used to run at the movie theaters before pictures (the predecessor to today’s CNN Headline News). Lest anyone, think she was just some ruffian, I should also tell you that my grandmother was beautiful and had a very successful career as a model and movie actress.
I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with my grandmother well into my 30’s. And, I’m proud to say she had a profound influence on my approach to this business. She made me believe that you should think big and never fear the risk to do something great. You may make a lasting impression.