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Debbi Willis, Daw613@bigfoot.com

The Silent Consumer

Consumers drive the economy of our country. Without consumers, marketing and business is all a waste of time in a capitalistic economy. Consumers determine the popularity of a product, and can make or break any market. Billions of dollars are spent every year by companies trying to figure out how to attract more consumers of their product in their market. With that said, make no mistake that Nascar fans are major consumers and have a huge market impact in this country!

Nascar fans are also part of a large "family". As anyone knows, families always have their fair share of sibling rivalries. One might liken the variety of fans' driver preferences to those sibling rivalries. Competitive spirits tend to cultivate that and in most families, there's a competitive spirit between siblings, too. However, let a sibling be offended or attacked and the family stands together to protect it's own. That's the beauty of FAMILY, a value still very strong in the sport of stock car racing.

No sooner had the painful reality of Adam Petty's death begun to set in, and empathy made a home in my heart with tears and prayers for his family, that I was outraged by an extremely disrespectful and irresponsible sports column in a newspaper in Massachusetts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but this one was despicable. Name-building at the expense of a famous family's tragedy on the day of an emotional holiday is simply cheap exploitation. As though, they weren't already experienced in raising their families in the limelight, the Petty family had to deal with burying one of their own in the light of a media cheap shot!

Remember the consumer though? And, that Nascar fans are consumers, and big consumers, at that? Just ask anyone into collectibles the value of his own collection and then multiply that by millions and YEARS of purchasing. And, then multiply that by all the other potential hobbies, home activities, products to purchase and suddenly a very clear picture is created of the impact of the consumer. I have to wonder how the advertisers of that newspaper in Massachussetts feel in the light of that columnists affront on the Nascar family of consumers? How about those other publications associated with this newspaper by virtue of their parent company, the New York Times? Do magazines like Golf Digest, and Golf World like being linked to an imbecilic message like that? I'd wager that many Nascar fans play golf, too! And the advertisers like Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Cellular One, United Healthcare, Dish Network, Bose Corp., Worcester Ice Cats, Wal Mart, and UPS, just to name the biggest names (isn't that what happened to the Petty's: big name, tragedy, cheap shot, big news?), should they suffer by association for advertising with the newspaper? [Note: Anyone wishing a complete advertisers list need only ask and I'll be happy to provide.] Naturally, I am not advocating punishing these companies for their association but I am suggesting that the consumers of Nascar make their discontent known to these companies so that they may cause the change needed to avoid any future glorification of trash as was printed. When the pocketbook gets hit, the powers that decide what is printed and not printed will take notice. Until then, they enjoy the attention and attribute it to "good numbers".

Nonetheless, the "Silent Consumer" is the most dangerous of all. They are the folks who learn or experience something they don't like or can't condone. Then, they decide not to do any more business with particular companies associated with or supporting what they don't like, but they never tell anyone, they just do it. These are the folks who boycott buying some products because of social issues. I wonder how many consumers across our country have done that and though their impact may not be felt immediately, it will be felt. Newspapers in any city depend on their subscribers and count on being the main news to keep their subscribers. Usually they are the only news in town and everyone supports their local "mullet wrapper" for lack of competition. If I were one of their subscribers, I would have cancelled my subscriptions and let the paper know why, then found another paper to read. Just like speedway attendance, when the numbers drop, everyone takes notice.

Of course, the subject has died for now. Something I am sure the paper counted on. Most people deem it too much trouble to speak out and when a chosen few do, then they get responses of "he's not worth it" arguments. They are right. The columnist isn't worth it. His follow-up column which should have been a major apology actually indicated how proud he is of his mean-spirited diatribe. However, consumers can make an impact. Change doesn't happen otherwise. Consumers effect changes more easily than they realize, but the most important is the Silent Consumers. Most businesses never know why they lost them.

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