Marketing in tough times finds a new niche
The new effort in advertising and marketing, is aimed at a growing consumer group: the unemployed and those fearful of losing their jobs.
On Tuesday, both Ford and GM announced plans to assure consumers that if they buy and lose their jobs, their payments will still get made. Tom Licciardello, Junior, at Syracue's Koerner Ford, says until June 1st, Ford would cover monthly payments up to $700 monthly for up to a year on a new vehicle, if the buyer loses a job.
Others getting into this area include JetBlue, which is now waiving flight cancellation fees--up to $100--as well as cancellation fees for vacation packages booked through JetBlue for customers who lose jobs. And, Walgreen's is offering in-store health care clinics for the unemployed and their families, starting today through the end of the year.
All the companies hope their offers will increase sales now--for the car dealers, a new IRS tax incentive for buying cars may also help (deductions of state and local sales and excise taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010 of a qualified new car, light truck, motor home or motorcycle on 2009 tax returns next year. The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers.)
However, there are also hopes that the goodwill being shown by companies, toward people hit by the bad economy, will carry over as a positive once the recession is over.
