Media’s Impact on Consumer Confidence

If someone were to come up to you and say “I’ll give you $100 if you can explain to me how our economy got into the current mess that it is facing,” could you earn that Benjamin? I don’t think too many of us could. We may not be able to explain what is going on or how we got to this point, but most of us realize what is happening to the U.S. economy is not good for it… or for us.

The result of the daily media analysis of our economy is that confidence in it is shaken badly. It is a real concern for sure, and that concern has been elevated by the frequency of messages from the media. If you hear something enough times, you will begin to believe it. So, if people were skeptical of the economy being weak or even oblivious that there might be something amiss, the gloomy tone of coverage has convinced many of these people that they should be worried.

The concerns we have are forcing us to curtail spending and consumption in many areas, notably clothing and dining out. Some categories may be insulated somewhat from the frugal consumer, most notably entertainment. Sales of video games and DVDs continue to be unaffected overall by the economic slowdown. In fact, it is these indulgences that are a source of escape, taking our minds off of tough economic times. Businesses that sell products or services that can meet this need may find some solace in a period when sales and profit expectations are uncertain at best.

Link: The New York Times – “Full of Doubts, U.S. Shoppers Cut Spending”

Author: Don Roy

Don Roy is a marketing educator, blogger, and author. His thirty-year career began with roles in retail management, B2B sales, and franchise management. For the past 22 years, Don has shared his passion for marketing as a marketing professor. Don's teaching and research interests include brands, sports marketing, and social media marketing. Don has authored over 20 articles in scholarly journals, co-authored two textbooks, and self-published three books on personal branding. Don is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running. He and his wife, Sara, have three sons.

2 thoughts on “Media’s Impact on Consumer Confidence”

  1. This post is so true. The media has a way of controlling our thoughts and views on different situations. It is important to take a more logical approach to what you see in the news, especially regarding the current economic condition.

  2. I can answer that $100 question. I believe it all started a couple of years ago when I first started to see those commercials on TV about banks and car dealerships giving away loans and not caring what your credit is. Sure, go ahead and take a loan out for a $400,000 house when you can only afford a $100,000 house.

    But people are sheep. People will follow along with whatever is done/said. To me, the times aren’t so bad for me yet. Gas is going down and I have enough money to go out to dinner once a week and still have some fun money. People need to learn that going about their normal lives is the best way to help the economy. Don’t stop spending money, keep the money in the banks (it’s insured), and stop freaking out so much.
    – Angela Seaton

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