Are you watching the advertisers?

I have been going through the coupon section of my Sunday paper for the last two weeks and I have noticed something. The companies who place their coupons in the paper, like just about everyone else, are trying to hit peoples' needs at this time with the New Year's resolutions. One of the big ones most people have on their list is to lose weight. Guess what all of the coupons are for? You guessed right if you said foods to help people lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

They even had a sample of a Fiber One bar in my newspaper that my 11 year old proceeded to eat up and then tell me that it was so good that he wants me to buy more. Guess what I am buying at the store this weekend with the coupon the company provided?

These companies are using their words and their images wisely to let you know you have a problem, which is that you want to lose weight or that you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and they offer a solution to your problem, which is that you should eat their foods to lose the weight or maintain your shape. People are fueled by emotions, whether it is happiness or sadness or everything in between, and those emotions drive us to do certain things, purchase certain things, watch certain things, or whatever else goes on in our lives.

Now is the time to look at your business and see if you can clarify your target market's problem, your solution to that problem, and the message you want to convey with your words and images.