Needs, Wants and the Absolute Importance of Relevance

Anemic acquisition results. Sinking response rates. Shrinking average gifts. Serious budget shortfalls.

Cue up R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.” But wondering when the misery and angst will end won’t help — so we had best do something.

People are actively thinking about the difference between “need” and “want” in all their buying decisions like they haven’t done since my grandmother was washing, drying and carefully smoothing out the same piece of tinfoil to be used again and again. Being frugal is “in.”