Business News From The Q4 Survey

The post Christmas blues have been a dark shade of indigo this year.As recession hits, businesses collapse and jobs are lost, it seems like our fast paced high maintenance lifestyles are going to be difficult to fund in the future.It isn't all doom and gloom however; there are in fact businesses that are seeing a boost in profits and an increase in revenue.The latest figures from the Q4 survey are a sneaky indicator of just how this recession is going to affect our lifestyle.It seems that rather than going without, the average consumer is more likely to refine their desires and spend their money wisely on the right products.We take a look at which businesses are coming out on top, and which appear to be on the slippery slope of consumer rejection.

One of the first things that gets kicked into touch as the purse strings tighten is frivolous spending on non-essential items.Nokia saw a fall in phone sales as customers were more than happy to stick with their current gadgetry, and online retail gods eBay also felt the pinch with a fall in revenue, sales and visitors to the auction site.This came as a surprise as many predicted that the site would do well as people hunted for a bargain, but I heard recently the definition of a bargain was 'something you don't need at a price you can't resist', maybe people can resist after all.

It comes as somewhat of a surprise then that Apple have reported their highest profits ever, and an increase in the value of shares.The lure of iPod, iPhone, MacBook and Apple TV is boosted by the belief that these items are a worthwhile investment.Rather than being a frivolous spend on unnecessary technology, those that are buying Apple products are choosing to invest in technology they believe is essential and worth 'upgrading' to.It should be noted that all these items could be classed as luxury home entertainment items, and maybe as money pressures rise, people feel the need to stay in more and go out less.

As hard times hit, it's understandable that folks want to go out less, and want find cheaper ways of finding amusement indoors.For example, taking the family to the cinema can cost in excess of 20 GPB before you've even cued for a bag of popcorn and some nachos.Instead, people are turning to film rental, on average, at a mere 3 GBP a pop, it is certainly a much cheaper way to amuse several people for a couple of hours.It is this trend towards home entertainment that has seen the rise in profits and customers of postal DVD company Love Film.

Each year has seen an increase in growth by forty per cent for the company, and this year the CEO announced that the client list has exceeded the 1 million mark.In return this has sparked an investment interest from one of the major UK banks with an injection of 10 million GBP into the company.The New Year for this company must be positive tint of pink, a much relieved change from the darker shades of blue affecting other companies around the world.Through the darkness of the upcoming recession, at least the bright lights of a screen will be leading the way.

About the Author

Dom Donaldson is an expert in the business industry.

Find out more about Business News in the world of home entertainment, gadgets and technology at Pocket Lint.

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Business Branding In A Downwards Economy

A good business brand is one that can withstand an ailing economy.In today's times wherein majority of the world is suffering from financial crisis, small- to big-time businesses are feeling the impact of this downturn.

This is when your branding campaign will be put to the test.Indeed, when businesses are competing for what remains of the market, you have to double your efforts at making the brand enable your business to thrive.What is also essential in these times is to never discount the impact of quality and improving value statements.These are important factors that hold promise to deliver more to the clients and keep your business afloat.

Are You Recession-Proof?: Branding seems to lose its vigor during recession.People tend to buy base on logic and needs, rather than impulse or perceptions.Therefore, you have to maintain or improve the kind of value, property, and benefits that your product promises its consumers.This is something that you must not lose focus on in your branding and marketing efforts, but its significance become more evident during times of recession.

If you want to add more value to your brand to make it better able to withstand the challenges of a suffering economy, here are areas of your branding system that must be given focus on:

o During recession, most businesses would tend to cut back on their marketing efforts and investments.

On the contrary, this is the time wherein you need to strengthen your marketing efforts.

o Create more aggressive marketing programs to be able to capture a bigger share of the market.

o Assert yourself on consumers largely affected by recession by offering better value on your products.

o Your advertising campaign must highlight quality, economic benefits, and real benefits as opposed to appeal to their superficial concerns.

Helping Your Brand Survive The Recession

When recession has hit the consumers, buying becomes a less desirable practice.

This will largely impact your business' efforts and this is made worse by the intensity of competition amongst various similar businesses.

Try using the following practices to keep your business thriving:

1.

) Never change your brand identity.Doing so will reduce the trust you have built on the customers and will also ruin your reputation.Merely try to restructure the messages you are trying to deliver but make sure that it stays within the context of your basic brand identity.

2.) Utilize this time to appeal to your customer's needs by performing a more thorough market research.This will produce an impression that you are concerned about their needs and are seeking for ways to deliver that.

3.) If your business' products are mostly high-end, do not simply revert to dropping prices.Instead, try improving the value and quality of your products so that customers will have a better quality spending habit.

4.) Be open to potential new customers.In times of recession, people are in the process of re-evaluating their spending habits.This is your opportunity to come into the picture and offer your business as a possible solution.

Ensuring Brand Stability : Consumers change their buying patterns during recession, but business owners must remain committed with their branding strategies.However, you do have to make slight and appropriate changes though, such as increased sensitivity to this new buying attitude exhibited by consumers.During times of recession, you have to stay committed in helping your customers attain quality service and products that add more value to their money.This is your winning formula.

And with increased dedication to your business brand, you will also increase the loyalty of your patrons.

About the Author

For more info on business, sales & marketing strategies - visit : http://www.

newbusinessmethods.com/

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Personalized Stationery Makes a Great Gift for Teens and Children

Finding the right gift for a child or teenager is not always easy, especially since their tastes can vary wildly as they try to find their own way to express themselves.  Clothes are easily outgrown and may not be able to keep up with changing fashions, while toys might soon be considered childish by image-conscious pre-teens.  An alternative that many people might not think of but that can be a big hit with children, teens, and pre-teens is personalized stationary which can not only be in the child’s favorite colors or designs but will also be immediately identifiable as belonging to them.

Children and teenagers alike often enjoy having unique school supplies that they can show off to classmates, so buying personalized stationary can guarantee that your gift is something that no one else will have.Whether it is a set of personalized polka dot memos in a gift bag for a special young lady or a silly animals memo book complete with a matching sticker set for a younger child to show off, personalized stationery makes a great and memorable gift.Not only will the stationery that you buy for them be stylish and feature designs that they like, but having their name printed on every sheet will give them a sense of importance that they might not find with other gifts.

In addition to basic memo pads and stationery items that a child or teen can take to school or keep on their homework desk, a number of personalized stationery sets are available which can serve a broader purpose.  Buying a set of personalized sports-themed cards can let a young athlete send invitations to upcoming games to favorite friends or relatives, or can let them send personal notes and thank-you cards showing off their favorite sports.  Similar card sets can be found and personalized according to the child’s tastes if they are not a sports fan or athlete, letting them use a twin hearts design or an artist’s palette motif on correspondence cards for any invitations or notes that they might want to send.

If the child or teen that you want to buy personalized stationery for has a pen pal or writes a lot of letters, you might even consider buying them a set of personalized address labels in order to let them give their letters a more “grown up” look which better fits their interests.  You can give floral address labels that match personalized floral stationery, or personalized blue stickers which can be used to seal envelopes as an alternative way of putting a return address on letters while giving them an entirely new look.Younger children might enjoy animal stickers or personalized dump truck stickers instead, featuring more cartoon-like characters but serving the same purpose.

One advantage of buying personalized stationery for children and teens is that it can give them a greater appreciation for letter-writing, and writing in general.  Since the stationery is personalized with their name they will be more likely to want to use it, and this can lead to activities such as finding a pen pal or creative writing, both of which can lead to a better grasp of language and grammar as well as an increase in overall creativity.  Unlike some educational toys that many children and a number of teens balk at, encouraging writing by giving personalized stationery can have a definite effect without the child shying away from it because they perceive it as being educational.

When deciding to give personalized stationery to children or teens, take the time to consider your options so that you can find just the right type of stationery to match their interests and personality.  There are a number of different options available from stores and shops that sell personalized stationery, with a number of designs that have been created specifically with children and teens in mind.  This will let you choose a stationery pattern that the child or teenager will be happy with, letting them express themselves a bit more through the look of their paper and other stationery instead of just having regular undecorated paper to use.

Though it might not seem like an ideal gift at first, you will find that many children and teens will get as much if not more use out of personalized stationery than they would from many other gift ideas.  Not only will it see a lot of use, but it may inspire a passion for writing and creativity in the years to come which few other gifts can match.  This way you will be able to not only give a gift that they will enjoy now, but also a gift that can influence them in a number of creative ways for years to come.

About the Author

Shawn Thomas is a freelance writer who writes about style, etiquette and gift giving.

Mr.Thomas often discusses specific ideas for gift giving such as personalized stationery and other kinds of stationery in general.

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