by El Zorro Viejo (aka; Jim)

Having worked the cash registers for the past 6 months, I come away struck by the power of a word. Some time back, the major credit card companies introduced "Debit" cards. They didn't take right off in popularity. Visa's marketing department then looks at the way American consumers actually behave and come up with a brilliant idea. They change the name of the card from "Debit" to "Check". It is still a debit card in that it is only as good as what cash you have in your account (and overdraft protection...), but, it gets rid of that scarey word "debit". We all write checks all the time. This card is just a way to write a check without putting pen to paper. I can tell you that the popularity of the check card has blossomed. I would venture to bet that at least 50% of the Visa cards that are presented out our store are of the debit/check variety. The really nice thing about plastic is that we don't have to ask the consumer for driver's license or query the bank regarding availability of funds. All the convenience of credit cards without the attendant debt is a winning combination.

The power of a word in marketing: that is my quick observation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. ©El Zorro Viejo 2002-2005