Feature

The Customer of the Future is …
Auto Glass Week™ Speaker to Focus on Your Future Customer

What does the auto glass customer of the future look like? To whom are you marketing on a daily basis? While some might debate whether the industry should be marketing to consumers or the insurance industry—or both—one thing is for certain: the cash auto glass market is growing. With such growth comes a need to market to consumers of all shapes and sizes. Renowned multicultural marketing and business trends expert Kelly McDonald will speak about just that at the upcoming Auto Glass Week™ event (See box below for details on her sessions.)

Auto Glass Week is scheduled for September 15-17 in Memphis, Tenn. See box at right for details.

McDonald’s session, “Understanding the Customer of the Future,” will take a look at the changing demographics of the United States, along with necessary marketing changes required by such shifts.

McDonald, who has spoken to many major groups including Toyota, Sherwin-Williams, Harley-Davidson, State Farm Insurance, Mattel, AAA Travel, and BlueCross BlueShield, recently took the time to speak with AGRR™ magazine about her work in this area.

AGRR: How did you come to study this topic?
McDonald (KM): I am a marketing and advertising person, and before I started my own company I spent 25 years working for some of the top ad agencies in the country. When you’re in advertising, you’re duty-bound to keep your fingertips on the pulse of the marketplace. That doesn’t just mean your competition but also consumer trends. It’s really important to not only keep up with demographic changes but also to keep up with what those changes mean.

AGRR: What types of changes do you expect to discuss?
KM: Some of the key trends I want to discuss is what the 2010 census shows us. The big news recently has been about the Hispanic population. One in 10 people [in the United States] is Spanish-speaking. What does that mean for business? Also there have been tremendous shifts in geography. People are moving from rural areas into the cities. What do you do to prepare your business for that shift? Some of the customers you’re used to having might not be there any more. Other demographics also are crucial, such as the aging of the population, and questions such as, “what do young people want?” Do they only want to be communicated with by text? There’s no average consumer today, and businesses are going to have to adapt.

AGRR: What do you usually hear from people who leave your seminars?
KM: They love it. Everyone sees the changes around them, but they don’t know what they need to do to change their businesses to adapt to the changes. You can look around and see that young people are constantly using their phones but they’re not talking on them. Changes like these make you ask, what do I need to do from a business standpoint? How do I stay profitable and competitive?

I’ve never presented this information where people weren’t completely riveted, and stuff like the census is a gift that only comes once every 10 years.

My thought is, how can you serve the local community if you don’t know who the local community is? Be smart—pay attention to the demographics around you and use this information to serve customers better because every business is local.

Pre-Register Today to Receive Discounted Registration

Pre-registration is now open online for Auto Glass Week™ 2011. This year’s unprecedented event will bring together the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards (AGRSS) Council Inc., the Independent Glass Association, the National Glass Association and the National Windshield Repair Association. In addition, AGRR magazine’s Pilkington Clear Advantage Auto Glass Technician Olympics (AGTO) and the Walt Gorman Memorial Windshield Repair Olympics (WRO) also will be held, along with the International Window Film Tint-Off and Conference™. The event is managed by AGRR magazine.

All of the groups will meet September 15-17 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis Tenn.

Visit www.autoglassweek.com to pre-register today.

Get Booked!
Discounted rooms for Auto Glass Week™ are available at the Memphis Marriott Downtown, which is connected to the Memphis Cook Convention Center via a covered walkway. The discounted room rate is $99 plus tax per night. Rooms can be booked by calling 888/557-8740 and mentioning that you are with Auto Glass Week. You also can book online by clicking on the hotel tab at www.autoglassweek.com.

AGRR
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