Nowadays, even affluent Americans are thinking twice before hitting the mall. A recent Gallup survey showed that 49% of people making $90,000 or more a year rated economic conditions as "poor," a 23-point increase since early September.rnThat has companies scrambling to tweak their marketing messages. Forget the usual talk of indulgent luxury. Instead, companies from General Electric to Lexus are employing sober, left-brain pitches-special deals, useful features, long-term savings. "There are plenty of high - end brands that sell themselves on the 'I-buy-it-because-I-can' idea," says Hayes Roth of brand consultant Landor. "They'll have to temper that."
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