Who Are Your Secondary Customers (and Do You Even Know What Those Are?)?

We often forget that the “secondary” customers are an important part of the purchase decision. While many businesses target the “decision maker” in their messaging, advertisements, and sales efforts, few acknowledge the other people involved in the purchase.

During Super Bowl XLV (2011), Volkswagen promoted the 2011 Passat by highlighting how the car would interact with the owner’s child – in this case, a Darth Vader costumed child that is trying to use the Force in his day-to-day life. It’s a classic and one of my most favorite Superbowl Commercials of all time.

Every business has obvious – and less obvious – secondary customers. Your paying customer might be the parent who looks at your product with certain metrics in mind. But don’t forget, their children are your customers too, and they have completely different metrics for satisfaction. And as any parent knows all too well, unhappy kids equals unhappy parents.

Not many businesses cater to kids, despite knowing they are part of their customer base. Consider what elements you could add to your customer touchpoints that would target the secondary customers directly.

• Restaurants have coloring books with individual packs of crayons – do you?
• Fast food children’s meals come with a surprise toy – does your product?
• Waiting rooms at the doctor’s office have toys and children’s books – does yours?

If you really want to bring a smile to a parent’s face, consider having an iPad preloaded with the latest episodes of Paw Patrol, complete with headphones, for your “little” customers. It will blow their minds.

If the kids are engaged and entertained, Mom and Dad will be free to enjoy their experience with you.