eggs rotting in the marketing refrigerator

In recent months I’ve run across a couple of companies — one of them a good-sized regional bank, the other an unnamed Blue Cross company — who are still referring to and using consumer and customer research done as far back as early 2009. What is worse is that they’re using this consumer and customer research in building their 2011 marketing plans.

Never in the modern history of commerce has the tectonic plate under our business world shifted so suddenly and precipitously as in the past 2 years. And what do you suppose has been the sector most affected?

Why consumer and customer behavior, of all things.

The bank’s answer to my question was, “Well you do have a point but our system-wide mission and focus is to stay close to our customers on a daily basis.”

I responded  that staying close to your customers in these times is pretty hard when you have over 4 million of them.

I wonder if they ever look at the expiration date on the eggs in the refrigerator.