I completely understand when suppliers focus on their customers. But who are they? The people that buy parking control equipment and services are the operators, garages, cities, universities, airports, hospitals, venues, office parks, and building complexes that provide parking for their customers, students, and tenants.
Therefore, when a supplier advertises and promotes, they speak to THEIR customers, not to parkers. Their customers want products and services that make their lives easier – that generate more money, reduce staff, are easy to use, and perhaps even make more parking spaces available for rent.
This makes perfect sense. But is it the right approach?
Some suppliers advertise directly to the end user. Intel, for instance, has their famous “intel inside” pitch. What they are doing is telling the end user that if they buy a computer with an Intel chip, they will have a better customer experience. Bose, although they promote headphones and speaker systems, also market their sound systems that are installed in high end automobiles. What about Archer Daniels Midland. They are the largest supplier of food stuffs but sell to companies that actually market prepared foods. I see their ads in major magazines all the time.
This is not to mean that our parking equipment manufacturers should advertise directly to parkers, but perhaps they should point out to their customers how their products help make the parking experience better.
Finding a way to show your customer that installing your product is going to make the industry better and going to give the parker a reason to park in that facility can only help them decide to purchase your product or service.
Yes, your product will make the parking operation better and generate revenue, but it will also ensure that the parking experience felt by the parker will be excellent. In the end, that is our goal, right?
JVH
