Guided By History is pleased to welcome the first blog entry by Sue Choate, Wachovia's Archivist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Sue has organized Wachovia's archives for 20 years. She is a reader, a skier and a grandmother of 5. As Wells Fargo and Wachovia become one Company over time, it's great to share the great histories both banks proudly maintain. (CR)
Football is not a sport I find interesting. 
I do, however, enjoy the advertisements during the Super Bowl. The best are obviously the result of savvy marketing firms and perceptive companies.
For the first time, Proctor & Gamble ran spots for its Tide brand during the Super Bowl, as did Victoria's Secret and Sunsilk hair care. These ads were clearly targeting female football fans. Identifying and targeting consumers who are likely to purchase, or influence the purchase of, certain products is smart business.
It occurred to me recently, when my seven-year-old grandson was extolling the appeal of a chocolate and peanut butter-flavored cereal , that its manufacturer knows exactly when to advertise. I asked if he had ever eaten this cereal — he hadn't, but had heard about it on TV.
Seems that Saturday mornings guarantee a captive audience for cereal advertisers.
That makes me consider just how ingenious Wachovia was way back around the turn of the century when it identified and targeted its services to a specific group of customers. This information didn't come by way of telephone polls or marketing research surveys. Wachovia's then-all-male management, however, was well aware that taking care of financial affairs was not the sole responsibility of men, so the bank decided to devote a specific room in which ladies could do their banking.
It wasn't an elaborate setup. A velvet curtain was hung in the doorway of the bank lobby to partition off a small area, and a sign was hung that read, "Ladies Room." In this genteel atmosphere, women could take care of their banking business without having to step around brass spittoons in the lobby for men to dispose of their chewing tobacco. Here they could also write business letters, or simply relax. I wonder how many took advantage of a trip to the bank to delay the laundry chores or supper preparations that awaited them at home?
It's gratifying to know that identifying and meeting customers' needs will remain the goal of the merged Wachovia-Wells Fargo. It is certainly a tradition with the two companies — that "Ladies Room" proves it!
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