Add to favorites Examiner Bio

Bad economy equals extreme marketing

Bitch Wine 

Has anyone else noticed the unexpected upside of the imploding economy? I went to a local 7-eleven the other day to buy the cheapest bottle of wine that I could pillage for a dinner party and actually passed up the $4.99 bottle for the $12.98 one. Why? Because I found a red wine with a cute pink label featuring the word “Bitch” written in classy cursive letters. I even prefer white to red wine, and absolutely couldn’t resist. Sure I was spending an additional $8 to get it, but it was funny and instead of bringing the cheapest wine to my dinner party, I was bringing the novelty conversation starter. That was worth the extra $8 to me, in an economy where people in mass have basically halted any shopping, even mostly ignoring all the juicy January sales, to hide in fear in their houses and only eat 89 cent frozen Banquet meals. Okay that last part might just be me, but marketing has gotten cleverer and any trend that can get me to spend money on anything other than sushi (which I’m not currently buying) deserves recognition. I’ve even resisted the other clever wine I’ve seen recently, the one called Relax, but still felt compelled to buy Bitch wine. 

 

I am a horrifyingly efficiency-expert-level cheap skate (In case you haven’t noticed). All those articles about finding fake Louis Vuittons on the cheap (see: 5 ways to get good fake designer handbags) driving other peoples cars in a custodial fashion (see: 5 steps to driving a Land Rover without buying or leasing one) re-gifting everything I’ve ever received, especially things I like because that means my recipients will like them (see: How to give gifts that won’t be regifted, How to regift well  and Give the gift of no gift this holiday season) doing almost everything for my wedding myself (including DJ-ing) so that I could spend half of what other people spend (see: 12 steps to having a destination wedding for under $12,000) and only going to the gun range on ladies night when the bullets are half off (see: Girls’ night at the gun range), isn’t just a hobby for me. It’s a lifestyle. I was like this even before the recession, so believe me when I say that marketing must be getting better.

 

Maybe this could be the right time for creative people to actually get ahead, especially considering that marketing is almost always hiring and it’s usually an entrance-level position. In times of desperation companies might avoid what’s safe (because that isn’t currently working since no one is shopping) and take more risks instead of sticking to cookie-cutter standards that have made certain markets stagnant, boring, and predictable. We might even see more people going out on a limb in different areas. Maybe even the news will finally break its boring mold and have people talk in everyday language about everyday things, wearing T-shirts and actually playing music that consists of more than 5 notes. But that may be pushing it.

 

So I say, if you’re in any business, now might be a good time to try bouncing your wildest ideas off your executives. Right now they have a higher potential to stick. And I’d like more funny wine.