Some companies spend too much time building a wall around themselves and their customers to defend against the competition, only to let customer service quality slip. The more connected you are to your customers, and the higher degree of service you offer, the more loyal your customers will be. Let me elaborate further on the concept of end-user pull. It s producing a shift in how we market, and who we market to. In the past, we thought of consignees as receivers of shipments.
Shippers are our customers.
Consignees are their customers. The Internet is changing that paradigm. This channel shift also influences the type of marketing approaches directed to end consumers. Look at how the two big soft-drink brands direct their marketing and advertising. They appeal to soft-drink consumers.