The current issue of Business Week is titled “Extreme Customer Service” and the lead article is titled “Where Service Means Survival.”
The issue showcases top brands that are delivering top customer service.
Among the top are some high-end brands like Lexus, Jaguar, Cadillac, BMW, Nordstrom and The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Also on the list are some more “mainstream” brands like Ace Hardware, True Value, Publix, JetBlue, Marriott and Trader Joes.
Over the weekend, I shopped twice at Home Depot and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the customer service.
As soon as I entered the store, there was a person at the door asking me how they could help me. As I went through the store, there was a Home Depot person at the end of nearly every aisle ready to help and assist.
And I wasn’t the only person to notice.
In fact, several of the shoppers made comment about how nice and different the service seemed to be.
On Sunday, I went and shopped at Trader Joe’s and I heard some of the customers making similar commentary.
They especially loved how they could find one person who would answer questions and help them find what they couldn’t find on their own…without having to wait or work through a chain of individuals.
In Business Week, one of the articles cites that “waiting on hold” is the number one consumer complaint…nearly 55% of those surveyed say that “the purgatory of hold” is the most annoying experience.
“Waiting for 15 minutes to talk to a representative only to be put on hold for 10 more minutes to be transferred to someone else only then to have my line go dead.”
I remember back in the 1980s when I started in the business that we all talked about how America was shifting from a product manufacturing to service economy.
Course we would all assume that the same principles of quality manufacturing would extend over to service delivery…right?
Across our client categories – whether retail, restaurants, financial, automotive – the resounding customer issue with the brand experience we bring back to the planning table….the customer service sucks.
While not the biggest fan of government regulation, I sometimes wonder if counterparts to folks like the FDA on the service side of business might be required.
Not that we are really experts, but here at BrandVenture, we are strong advocates that human behavior is just as critical of a predictor of brand success as the conventional MBA financial models.
Human Behavior is to a service economy what Engineering is to a manufacturing economy.
But the challenge is that Human Behavior is far less mechanical, far less repetitive in production and delivery and far less predictable.
And too many companies have tried to marry Human Behavior with Engineering that has resulted in the long wait times that makes customers feel like no one is really there to even help.
As I have said in recent Blog-logues…as much as we hate to be in recession, down economies often do a great job of “cleaning house.”
The MBA mindset will have to change…it is way too hooked on brand attributes and the benefit pay-off versus a focus on the broader overall brand experience.
It’s great to see Business Week highlighting the companies that are delivering top quality service.
Just like individuals today hit “click” when they come upon mediocre websites… customers today will not tolerate mediocre service.
My only suggestion to Business Week is to replace the word “EXTREME” in its issue headline as the adjective in describing “customer service” and maybe consider replacing it with “expected,” or “essential,” or “everyday,” or “established,” or “enjoyable” or “engaged” or …
Hey, I get the message loud and clear… get out from behind the desk, put on a smile, and repeat after me…”how can we help you today?”
AND REALLY… How can WE HELP YOU TODAY?... Email us and let us know!...we’re ready to jump in with you and Journey!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Heretical Ideas Win…Desperate Strategy Sinks Ships!
When I saw the ad for the third time last night, I immediately made it a top priority to feature it on this week’s Blog.
More about that ad in a minute…
Earlier in the evening, on ABC Nightly News, they interviewed the flight crew that landed the plane on the Hudson.
One of the flight attendants told the story that as soon as the plane hit the water, a passenger got up and dashed to the back of the plane and opened up the back escape hatch. Unfortunately, the tail was underwater and opening it up started to flood the plane.
Fortunately, the flight attendant was able to get the passenger under control and re-routed them to the wing exits where the passenger was shortly thereafter rescued by one of the local ferryboats.
What a great illustration of how desperation can sink a ship…or in this case, a plane!
The brand that is the “star” of that ad running last night is about as desperate in its quest to survive as the person on the Hudson…
To be even more exact… the marketing and ad team client-side and the ad agency that produced the ad are probably hyperventilating even now as they watch the IV feeder tubes dry up.
The ad compares the Escalade to the MINI Cooper S.
Need I say more?
Here is what Justin Berkowitz, one of our fellow bloggers posted about the ad…
“Did the ad agency really know who the potential buyers of Escalades are? Apparently an ad man was envisioning a fiscally-conscious, sensibly green guy sitting in front of his high-def set and having an epiphany.”
And here is more posted from some of the other bloggers…
“I want the 30 seconds of my life back that I wasted watching this commercial.”
“Wow. Thanks for setting me straight GM. What was I thinking? I’m definitely buying one of those giant hybrid trucks!”
“This last desperate attempt by their ad agency to jump start sales of these nearly extinct and overpriced dinosaurs is comical at best.”
“It seems that GM and their ad agency are trying hard to throw anything at the wall and see what sticks…or doesn’t.”
“Comparing GM to MINI Coopers is like comparing something really cool to a thug.”
“How many MINI owners do they think also have these big SUV pimp-mobiles in their consideration mix.”
“Watching this commercial is like looking at a chain-smoking, overweight, cancer-ridden guy living his last days fantasizing that he’s Superman while he sucks on his oxygen tank… oh yeah… and the agency that produced it is his dog that obeys every rule clinging to his side.”
Okay.
In ideation sessions that we facilitate for clients…we do an exercise we call “Dogma-Heresy” in which we look at how competitive brands are being presented and advertised and then put together a list of the similarities – or the dogma – that they are all doing.
We then have participants jot down ideas, thoughts and approaches that others in the industry would find heretical.
As a facilitator…my primary task is to squelch the critiques and negative commentary and let the ideas flow.
The exercise actually generates some great ideas.
Innovative ideas are great. Desperation strategy is something totally different.
Innovative thinking flows best when participants build off of what others share versus critique, dictate and command.
Go online and Google GM and MINI and you can see more of what others think about this last breath attempt to save a dying brand.
Then go look in the mirror and if you have any inkling of doing something similar to GM and their ad agency, call us at 404.245.9378 and we’ll set up the intervention ideation session that can save you from the fall!
More about that ad in a minute…
Earlier in the evening, on ABC Nightly News, they interviewed the flight crew that landed the plane on the Hudson.
One of the flight attendants told the story that as soon as the plane hit the water, a passenger got up and dashed to the back of the plane and opened up the back escape hatch. Unfortunately, the tail was underwater and opening it up started to flood the plane.
Fortunately, the flight attendant was able to get the passenger under control and re-routed them to the wing exits where the passenger was shortly thereafter rescued by one of the local ferryboats.
What a great illustration of how desperation can sink a ship…or in this case, a plane!
The brand that is the “star” of that ad running last night is about as desperate in its quest to survive as the person on the Hudson…
To be even more exact… the marketing and ad team client-side and the ad agency that produced the ad are probably hyperventilating even now as they watch the IV feeder tubes dry up.
The ad compares the Escalade to the MINI Cooper S.
Need I say more?
Here is what Justin Berkowitz, one of our fellow bloggers posted about the ad…
“Did the ad agency really know who the potential buyers of Escalades are? Apparently an ad man was envisioning a fiscally-conscious, sensibly green guy sitting in front of his high-def set and having an epiphany.”
And here is more posted from some of the other bloggers…
“I want the 30 seconds of my life back that I wasted watching this commercial.”
“Wow. Thanks for setting me straight GM. What was I thinking? I’m definitely buying one of those giant hybrid trucks!”
“This last desperate attempt by their ad agency to jump start sales of these nearly extinct and overpriced dinosaurs is comical at best.”
“It seems that GM and their ad agency are trying hard to throw anything at the wall and see what sticks…or doesn’t.”
“Comparing GM to MINI Coopers is like comparing something really cool to a thug.”
“How many MINI owners do they think also have these big SUV pimp-mobiles in their consideration mix.”
“Watching this commercial is like looking at a chain-smoking, overweight, cancer-ridden guy living his last days fantasizing that he’s Superman while he sucks on his oxygen tank… oh yeah… and the agency that produced it is his dog that obeys every rule clinging to his side.”
Okay.
In ideation sessions that we facilitate for clients…we do an exercise we call “Dogma-Heresy” in which we look at how competitive brands are being presented and advertised and then put together a list of the similarities – or the dogma – that they are all doing.
We then have participants jot down ideas, thoughts and approaches that others in the industry would find heretical.
As a facilitator…my primary task is to squelch the critiques and negative commentary and let the ideas flow.
The exercise actually generates some great ideas.
Innovative ideas are great. Desperation strategy is something totally different.
Innovative thinking flows best when participants build off of what others share versus critique, dictate and command.
Go online and Google GM and MINI and you can see more of what others think about this last breath attempt to save a dying brand.
Then go look in the mirror and if you have any inkling of doing something similar to GM and their ad agency, call us at 404.245.9378 and we’ll set up the intervention ideation session that can save you from the fall!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Hey! Let's Journey Into The American Middle Class!
They are the hot topic of the news and blogs…the American Middle Class.
And the picture painted is one of the working class parents, two kids, dog and cat living in that 3 bedroom-2 bath suburban tract home.
We hear about how they work day-in – day-out to strive to pay off their credit cards, make the house payment and get dinner on the table to feed the family.
The media, politico and marketing mavericks love to craft and fuel simple, digestible stereotypes of the human diversity that comprises society.
Too much of the time, we sit behind our desks and lean on those same stereotypes.
Get a load of some of these new American Middle Class stats…
• More Millenniums and GenXers make up the American Middle Class than Boomers and Matures
• More than two-thirds of the American Middle Class believes that they are better off compared to their parents when they were the same age a generation ago
• Nearly twice as many of the American Middle Class say that they are “living comfortably” as the number of Middle Class Americans “barely getting by”
• Nearly five times as many the Americans place higher importance on having free time and having children than being wealthy
• Only 38% of Middle Class America favors the current stimulus package now up for Senate review and vote…down from just over 50% a week ago!
So is there more to Middle Class America than Joe The Plumber?
Just last night I had one of those “aha experiences” that open up how we think and how we view the changes taking place around us.
I am currently taking a class at Emory University that explores modern day cultures and is held once a week at one of the area restaurants.
Last night, I sat across the table from a very fascinating young lady who is an instructional text writer for one of the software companies in our fair city of Atlanta.
She has a college degree in finance and lives in a townhouse in one of the fashionable suburban Atlanta neighborhoods.
She works daily with technical programmers and watches how they load and interact with software programming and then translates their actions and process flow into instructional text.
Last week she completed a 45-page manual in less than three days!
Whew!
What is interesting about this person is that she is part of what we term the “American Middle Class” with an income that is nearly the median reported in 2008 – about $52,000 a year.
I don’t know about you…but when I get out from behind my desk and get out and dwell with the real people behind the labels, I glean some cool insights and perspectives!
Cool insights and perspectives that generate consumer interest, cultivate brand loyalty and drive dollars to the bottomline!
Numbers and text can reveal some things…but there’s nothing quite like joining up with the change agents themselves!
So to kick off 2009 right, we are launching a new website this week where others can come and hop on the bus with us on the field trips and cultural anthropology digs among the trend-setters and trend-benders that are driving market change!
The new site is www.heyletsjourney.com
Check it out… And our first journey is into the communities, lives, headsets and heartbeats of Middle Class America!
See who really makes up what we label as the American Middle Class.
Come meet up with the “Young Pioneers,” “Blue Chip Homesteaders” and “Intown Rooted Classics”!
Click on the Videocasts and check out their dreams, passions and perspectives.
Let us know what issues and cultures you want to explore more.
Best yet, call us and join us out in the field and just like the website says…
Hey! Let’s Journey! ... www.heyletsjourney.com
And the picture painted is one of the working class parents, two kids, dog and cat living in that 3 bedroom-2 bath suburban tract home.
We hear about how they work day-in – day-out to strive to pay off their credit cards, make the house payment and get dinner on the table to feed the family.
The media, politico and marketing mavericks love to craft and fuel simple, digestible stereotypes of the human diversity that comprises society.
Too much of the time, we sit behind our desks and lean on those same stereotypes.
Get a load of some of these new American Middle Class stats…
• More Millenniums and GenXers make up the American Middle Class than Boomers and Matures
• More than two-thirds of the American Middle Class believes that they are better off compared to their parents when they were the same age a generation ago
• Nearly twice as many of the American Middle Class say that they are “living comfortably” as the number of Middle Class Americans “barely getting by”
• Nearly five times as many the Americans place higher importance on having free time and having children than being wealthy
• Only 38% of Middle Class America favors the current stimulus package now up for Senate review and vote…down from just over 50% a week ago!
So is there more to Middle Class America than Joe The Plumber?
Just last night I had one of those “aha experiences” that open up how we think and how we view the changes taking place around us.
I am currently taking a class at Emory University that explores modern day cultures and is held once a week at one of the area restaurants.
Last night, I sat across the table from a very fascinating young lady who is an instructional text writer for one of the software companies in our fair city of Atlanta.
She has a college degree in finance and lives in a townhouse in one of the fashionable suburban Atlanta neighborhoods.
She works daily with technical programmers and watches how they load and interact with software programming and then translates their actions and process flow into instructional text.
Last week she completed a 45-page manual in less than three days!
Whew!
What is interesting about this person is that she is part of what we term the “American Middle Class” with an income that is nearly the median reported in 2008 – about $52,000 a year.
I don’t know about you…but when I get out from behind my desk and get out and dwell with the real people behind the labels, I glean some cool insights and perspectives!
Cool insights and perspectives that generate consumer interest, cultivate brand loyalty and drive dollars to the bottomline!
Numbers and text can reveal some things…but there’s nothing quite like joining up with the change agents themselves!
So to kick off 2009 right, we are launching a new website this week where others can come and hop on the bus with us on the field trips and cultural anthropology digs among the trend-setters and trend-benders that are driving market change!
The new site is www.heyletsjourney.com
Check it out… And our first journey is into the communities, lives, headsets and heartbeats of Middle Class America!
See who really makes up what we label as the American Middle Class.
Come meet up with the “Young Pioneers,” “Blue Chip Homesteaders” and “Intown Rooted Classics”!
Click on the Videocasts and check out their dreams, passions and perspectives.
Let us know what issues and cultures you want to explore more.
Best yet, call us and join us out in the field and just like the website says…
Hey! Let’s Journey! ... www.heyletsjourney.com
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Heed The Call Of Imminent Fundamental Change!
Last Blog-louge I wrote about the economic Tipping Point Trends that surfaced in 2008 and also ways marketing teams can bounce-back in 2009.
Since I wrote the blog, I have been traveling near and far meeting with CEOs, market execs, ethnographers and academics.
I have also had the opportunity to walk the beach, stroll down Fifth Avenue, watch the sun set over the Atlanta skyline and sit outside around the fireplace at my mountain cabin.
During that time, I have thought a lot about what I have seen and heard.
My conclusion?
Trend tracking is nice, but there are larger, more significant changes that are driving, re-scripting and transforming how we will live, work, shop, vote and interact with others in the future.
Mega-Trends are significant...but what is taking place is less developmental and more explosive.
These trends are what I term as Imminent Fundamental Change…
• They cannot be reversed
• They re-engineer foundation architecture
• They impact multiple levels of consumer life
Examples of Imminent Fundamental Change?
1. The return of the home-front and its extension into social bonding
2. The portability of information and its integration with experience
3. Spending constraints defined by rational-responsible application
4. A live-work paradigm of entrepreneurialism, self-sufficiency, craftsmanship and accountability
5. The organizational structure of service and product delivery
These changes are Imminent. They have left the launch pad and they are heading directly into our community and day-to-day lives.
They are fuelded by a combination of technology, currency and personal survival.
These changes impact the fundamental architecture of the economy, the marketplace and social exchange.
Past factors of Imminent Fundamental Change include:
• The ability to transport faster than human or animal travel
• Verbal and visual electronic communications
• Mass access to education
• The Baby Boom and Birth control
• Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Measures
Since brands are produced and delivered by human beings, it’s not surprising that many businesses are heralding in the New Year by filing Chapter 11.
But…just as much as the glass is half empty… its also half full!
And there are individuals, businesses and brands out there that are “getting it” and instead of entering into Chapter 11, they are moving from the confines of poor me to the opportunity of Wii! (That's not a typo!)
Are these companies smart or what?...
** Terracylce Plant Food made from organic garbage destined for landfills expects to generate $15 million in sales through Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Whole Foods in 2009
** Pringles Potato Chips is incorporating in bits of spuds that were historically discarded in their new organic line of chips and posted double-digit growth in third and fourth quarters of 2008
** Savers posted a 35% increase in sales and continues to expand with 210 stores re-selling "hip and cool" vintage second-hand clothing
** ESPN360.com has shifted from the TV Box to the Online Screen with a consumer offering of "whatever" sports you want, "whenever" you want it...and is smiling with a 40% paid subscription increase in 2008
Like I said earlier…
Don’t let the budget cutbacks and the layoffs constrain you.
Engage in a liberation experience! Get out from behind that desk and beyond those four walls!
In our next Blog-logue, I’m going to showcase the launch of a new website and the first of our journeys that is going to venture into the headset and heartbeat of an audience group that dominates the news stories…
And one that I bet will be mentioned in next week’s presidential inauguration speech!
So hey…stop fighting the Imminent Fundamental Change…and let’s journey into how we can tap into the opportunities surfacing!
Since I wrote the blog, I have been traveling near and far meeting with CEOs, market execs, ethnographers and academics.
I have also had the opportunity to walk the beach, stroll down Fifth Avenue, watch the sun set over the Atlanta skyline and sit outside around the fireplace at my mountain cabin.
During that time, I have thought a lot about what I have seen and heard.
My conclusion?
Trend tracking is nice, but there are larger, more significant changes that are driving, re-scripting and transforming how we will live, work, shop, vote and interact with others in the future.
Mega-Trends are significant...but what is taking place is less developmental and more explosive.
These trends are what I term as Imminent Fundamental Change…
• They cannot be reversed
• They re-engineer foundation architecture
• They impact multiple levels of consumer life
Examples of Imminent Fundamental Change?
1. The return of the home-front and its extension into social bonding
2. The portability of information and its integration with experience
3. Spending constraints defined by rational-responsible application
4. A live-work paradigm of entrepreneurialism, self-sufficiency, craftsmanship and accountability
5. The organizational structure of service and product delivery
These changes are Imminent. They have left the launch pad and they are heading directly into our community and day-to-day lives.
They are fuelded by a combination of technology, currency and personal survival.
These changes impact the fundamental architecture of the economy, the marketplace and social exchange.
Past factors of Imminent Fundamental Change include:
• The ability to transport faster than human or animal travel
• Verbal and visual electronic communications
• Mass access to education
• The Baby Boom and Birth control
• Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Measures
Since brands are produced and delivered by human beings, it’s not surprising that many businesses are heralding in the New Year by filing Chapter 11.
But…just as much as the glass is half empty… its also half full!
And there are individuals, businesses and brands out there that are “getting it” and instead of entering into Chapter 11, they are moving from the confines of poor me to the opportunity of Wii! (That's not a typo!)
Are these companies smart or what?...
** Terracylce Plant Food made from organic garbage destined for landfills expects to generate $15 million in sales through Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Whole Foods in 2009
** Pringles Potato Chips is incorporating in bits of spuds that were historically discarded in their new organic line of chips and posted double-digit growth in third and fourth quarters of 2008
** Savers posted a 35% increase in sales and continues to expand with 210 stores re-selling "hip and cool" vintage second-hand clothing
** ESPN360.com has shifted from the TV Box to the Online Screen with a consumer offering of "whatever" sports you want, "whenever" you want it...and is smiling with a 40% paid subscription increase in 2008
Like I said earlier…
Don’t let the budget cutbacks and the layoffs constrain you.
Engage in a liberation experience! Get out from behind that desk and beyond those four walls!
In our next Blog-logue, I’m going to showcase the launch of a new website and the first of our journeys that is going to venture into the headset and heartbeat of an audience group that dominates the news stories…
And one that I bet will be mentioned in next week’s presidential inauguration speech!
So hey…stop fighting the Imminent Fundamental Change…and let’s journey into how we can tap into the opportunities surfacing!
Friday, December 26, 2008
The Tipping Point Of 2008...Come Journey Into 2009!
From an ethnographic perspective, 2008 was a golden year!
From our perspective, here are the top eight drivers of 2008…
1. The rise of the Millennium Generation and its impact on a presidential election
2. The truth of the alchemy driving the financial industry
3. The 11th hour awakening of the US automotive industry
4. The replacement of unlimited spending with responsible saving
5. The collapse of the conventional news media
6. The explosion of Apps and transportable technology
7. The saturation of the conventional brands – Starbucks and Macy’s vs. MINIs
8. The behavioral impact of the cost of a gallon of gas
The impact of these eight drivers is similar to that of a platectonic shift with seismic reads that cause upheaval to conventional states of stability.
Many brands and businesses are reeling.
Reading the end of the year edition of Advertising Age was like reading the obituaries.
However, amidst the entire dirge, there was one great column titled “Ways to Bounce Back Stronger From Tough Times.”
The author is the president of the Association of National Advertisers.
Here is who he represents as the group communicates on its website…”ANA is the only trade organization exclusively for client-side marketers providing indispensable business insights, extensive collaboration opportunities and strong industry advocacy.”
If you are a client that is reading this…embrace it…it’s a voice crying out on your side of the tracks!
While we may differ on some terminology (Integrated Marketing Communications is a 90s fall-back), the column is so good, that I have cut it out and taped it up above my desk.
Here are Bob Liodice’s Top Ways To Bounce Back and our BrandVenture reinforcement beliefs…
1. Passion And Leadership Are Imperative…visible leadership that oozes belief …passion that cascades throughout the organization…marry the brand mission, vision and values with what drives the consumer's left and right sides of the brain!
2. Invest In The Brand And Be Courageous…defy conventional wisdom… increased marketing investment during a recession increases market share…don’t abide by the dogma of the category in the marketing of a product, but instead market your brand experience!
3. Let Creativity Fly…innovation through consumer insight…produce breakthrough ideas…challenge the conventional and embrace the heretical!
4. Develop Trust And Connectivity…give consumers what they need to be true brand believers…fuel your brand's emotional ignition point (EIP) that compels consumers to seek you out beyond reason and rationale thought!
5. Integrate All Communications….reach audience groups through multiple avenues…deliver the same message across all platforms…deliver brand consistency across every touch-point of the brand experience!
6. Be Accountable…a culture of accountability…partner finance, research and analytics…a cross functional marketing and finance team…fuel the insights that drive the returns!
7. Invest in People…ensure that they embrace the company culture and philosophy…people who make up your marketplace and define your product experience deliverable that your company embraces to define its culture!
8. Strengthen The Marketing Supply Chain…pursue efficiencies and productivity…build relationships (stop the RFPs every 6-12 months) and ensure reinforcements (pay the bills on time!)
9. Trust Your Agencies…strategy, breakthrough creative and expanding media platforms…and also trust your consumers…get out beyond the four walls of your office and get into dialogue with them on the street, in the stores and online!
10. Be Socially Responsible…go beyond cause-marketing and ideals-based branding…have an inspirational reason for your brand…do what we advocate at BrandVenture…dig below the surface and unravel the submerged!
I am excited about 2009!
What we do here at BrandVenture is a cost affordable, smart way of embracing Change and charting into the future waters of the marketplace.
We generate INSIGHTS OF RELEVANCY to bring to life THE EMOTIONAL INTANGIBLES of the BRAND EXPERIENCE that generate DIALOGUE through CHANNELS OF ENGAGEMENT and CULUTRE BONDING that DRIVES SALES.
Don’t let budget cutbacks and lay-offs constrain you!
For the average cost of one conventional focus group -- $6,500 - $8,000, we can…
• Conduct two, more revealing, Coffee House Chats or Pub Chats
• Complete 50-60 Person-On-The –Street Surveys
• Take an Ethnographic journey through online communities and video postings among your consumers and provide you with a snapshot of their iconic culture and brand relationships
• Dig deeper beyond the demographics into who really makes up opportunity target groups for your brand…where they live, where they work, how they think and how they connect through channels of communications and entertainment
And tune in right after the New Year for more information about a cool journey we are going to be taking in January and how you can be part of it!
Come…Let’s Journey!
From our perspective, here are the top eight drivers of 2008…
1. The rise of the Millennium Generation and its impact on a presidential election
2. The truth of the alchemy driving the financial industry
3. The 11th hour awakening of the US automotive industry
4. The replacement of unlimited spending with responsible saving
5. The collapse of the conventional news media
6. The explosion of Apps and transportable technology
7. The saturation of the conventional brands – Starbucks and Macy’s vs. MINIs
8. The behavioral impact of the cost of a gallon of gas
The impact of these eight drivers is similar to that of a platectonic shift with seismic reads that cause upheaval to conventional states of stability.
Many brands and businesses are reeling.
Reading the end of the year edition of Advertising Age was like reading the obituaries.
However, amidst the entire dirge, there was one great column titled “Ways to Bounce Back Stronger From Tough Times.”
The author is the president of the Association of National Advertisers.
Here is who he represents as the group communicates on its website…”ANA is the only trade organization exclusively for client-side marketers providing indispensable business insights, extensive collaboration opportunities and strong industry advocacy.”
If you are a client that is reading this…embrace it…it’s a voice crying out on your side of the tracks!
While we may differ on some terminology (Integrated Marketing Communications is a 90s fall-back), the column is so good, that I have cut it out and taped it up above my desk.
Here are Bob Liodice’s Top Ways To Bounce Back and our BrandVenture reinforcement beliefs…
1. Passion And Leadership Are Imperative…visible leadership that oozes belief …passion that cascades throughout the organization…marry the brand mission, vision and values with what drives the consumer's left and right sides of the brain!
2. Invest In The Brand And Be Courageous…defy conventional wisdom… increased marketing investment during a recession increases market share…don’t abide by the dogma of the category in the marketing of a product, but instead market your brand experience!
3. Let Creativity Fly…innovation through consumer insight…produce breakthrough ideas…challenge the conventional and embrace the heretical!
4. Develop Trust And Connectivity…give consumers what they need to be true brand believers…fuel your brand's emotional ignition point (EIP) that compels consumers to seek you out beyond reason and rationale thought!
5. Integrate All Communications….reach audience groups through multiple avenues…deliver the same message across all platforms…deliver brand consistency across every touch-point of the brand experience!
6. Be Accountable…a culture of accountability…partner finance, research and analytics…a cross functional marketing and finance team…fuel the insights that drive the returns!
7. Invest in People…ensure that they embrace the company culture and philosophy…people who make up your marketplace and define your product experience deliverable that your company embraces to define its culture!
8. Strengthen The Marketing Supply Chain…pursue efficiencies and productivity…build relationships (stop the RFPs every 6-12 months) and ensure reinforcements (pay the bills on time!)
9. Trust Your Agencies…strategy, breakthrough creative and expanding media platforms…and also trust your consumers…get out beyond the four walls of your office and get into dialogue with them on the street, in the stores and online!
10. Be Socially Responsible…go beyond cause-marketing and ideals-based branding…have an inspirational reason for your brand…do what we advocate at BrandVenture…dig below the surface and unravel the submerged!
I am excited about 2009!
What we do here at BrandVenture is a cost affordable, smart way of embracing Change and charting into the future waters of the marketplace.
We generate INSIGHTS OF RELEVANCY to bring to life THE EMOTIONAL INTANGIBLES of the BRAND EXPERIENCE that generate DIALOGUE through CHANNELS OF ENGAGEMENT and CULUTRE BONDING that DRIVES SALES.
Don’t let budget cutbacks and lay-offs constrain you!
For the average cost of one conventional focus group -- $6,500 - $8,000, we can…
• Conduct two, more revealing, Coffee House Chats or Pub Chats
• Complete 50-60 Person-On-The –Street Surveys
• Take an Ethnographic journey through online communities and video postings among your consumers and provide you with a snapshot of their iconic culture and brand relationships
• Dig deeper beyond the demographics into who really makes up opportunity target groups for your brand…where they live, where they work, how they think and how they connect through channels of communications and entertainment
And tune in right after the New Year for more information about a cool journey we are going to be taking in January and how you can be part of it!
Come…Let’s Journey!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Holiday Market Shift
We all hear what the media thinks about this holiday season.
Most of their articles begin with the copy line… “Worst holiday season sales in the last XX years.” The XX number keeps getting bigger the longer the season lasts.
Oh well…the media does have a unique perspective of the world.
I had dinner last night with a friend of mine in the real estate business. He told me that he had spent part of the day buying the ingredients for a special dip he was taking to the RE/MAX holiday party.
Said it was kind of odd, but could be fun…in the past, RE/MAX had the event catered, but this year it was potluck and BYOB. RE/MAX was hosting the event at their offices and providing free soft drinks.
Wow.
Being the proverbial optimist, I do believe that what we are seeing is more than just a reactive response to the economy.
I genuinely believe that we are seeing a major market shift.
Clearly a couple of factors are here at work…
(1) The market has moved from a credit line dependency to a savings mandate. While the banks that have cut credit limits have driven part of this and part by customers that have filed Chapter 13, more of the change is driven by individuals who have realized that saving money just makes sense.
(2) GenXers are the driving force of the family market and they are rewriting the rules of the past. Remember that nearly half came out of divorced households and their “most married” stats support the fact that they are not going to do to their families what their parents did to them. As a result, they avoid the commercialization of a family event at all costs if it intrudes into their home cocoon.
(3) The oldest of the boomlet Millennium Generation that the Baby Boom produced will turn 30 in 2009 and the youngest will be turning 19. The cravings for the Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart under-the-tree wrapped gifts are fading from the holiday stage-set. And the parents are celebrating the joys of the empty nest by carving out their own space where the kids are not part of the picture.
(4) Just as the populous has gone Green – both seeking and protecting what is real and genuine – there is a changing mindset regarding protection of other things from commercialization and development. For confirmation, go check out the latest sales figures of the brands that have elected this year to change the lyrics of Christmas carols rooted in worship services and replaced them with their sales pitch. (And to the copywriters that did this…get that resume and portfolio updated ASAP!)
(5) Simplicity and Convenience is in and Complexity is out. Go check out the store shelves that have been historically stocked with all the decorative chukkas in the Home Depots, Wal-Marts and CVS Pharmacies of the marketplace…notice how fewer shelves are stocked and how less complex is the inventory. Now…go check out the blogs, the print write-in editorials and the news network clips…do you see any stories of consumers complaining about the hardship economics that have taken away the decorative charm of the holidays?
There are some profound changes taking place that are we are witnessing right now and the impact of these changes extend well past December 25th 2008.
As I have been writing this, CNN.com posted a new headline story that features the death of the malls. The “in depth reporters” writing the story cite in the posting that “the recession is leaving more retail casualties in its wake.”
I bet that these are the same writers that hang out with the writer’s of yesterday’s editorial about how Global Warming is causing the coldest winters in recent times.
Those writers of the mall story are also probably straight and can’t see the fact that most of the malls sport that 80s design that isn’t retro cool…its just dated and dull. It's that dullness combined with the craving for the old town square that has driven most "malls" built since 2000 to be in the outdoor townscape.
You know…with all the Emails and text messages that I get from friends and associates; I actually find interacting with others around a potluck dinner to be much more fun and real.
I’m excited about 2009…and 2010…and 2011… There’s changes taking place before us that will be the future drivers of brand success if brands are engineered around the consumers driving the changes!
So go home earlier, get into that kitchen and cook up your favorite dish, then come on over to our place and let’s kick off a potluck brain-session about all the cool opportunities that are opening up in the changing marketplace!
Happy Holidays…and hey…let’s have safe Journey!
Most of their articles begin with the copy line… “Worst holiday season sales in the last XX years.” The XX number keeps getting bigger the longer the season lasts.
Oh well…the media does have a unique perspective of the world.
I had dinner last night with a friend of mine in the real estate business. He told me that he had spent part of the day buying the ingredients for a special dip he was taking to the RE/MAX holiday party.
Said it was kind of odd, but could be fun…in the past, RE/MAX had the event catered, but this year it was potluck and BYOB. RE/MAX was hosting the event at their offices and providing free soft drinks.
Wow.
Being the proverbial optimist, I do believe that what we are seeing is more than just a reactive response to the economy.
I genuinely believe that we are seeing a major market shift.
Clearly a couple of factors are here at work…
(1) The market has moved from a credit line dependency to a savings mandate. While the banks that have cut credit limits have driven part of this and part by customers that have filed Chapter 13, more of the change is driven by individuals who have realized that saving money just makes sense.
(2) GenXers are the driving force of the family market and they are rewriting the rules of the past. Remember that nearly half came out of divorced households and their “most married” stats support the fact that they are not going to do to their families what their parents did to them. As a result, they avoid the commercialization of a family event at all costs if it intrudes into their home cocoon.
(3) The oldest of the boomlet Millennium Generation that the Baby Boom produced will turn 30 in 2009 and the youngest will be turning 19. The cravings for the Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart under-the-tree wrapped gifts are fading from the holiday stage-set. And the parents are celebrating the joys of the empty nest by carving out their own space where the kids are not part of the picture.
(4) Just as the populous has gone Green – both seeking and protecting what is real and genuine – there is a changing mindset regarding protection of other things from commercialization and development. For confirmation, go check out the latest sales figures of the brands that have elected this year to change the lyrics of Christmas carols rooted in worship services and replaced them with their sales pitch. (And to the copywriters that did this…get that resume and portfolio updated ASAP!)
(5) Simplicity and Convenience is in and Complexity is out. Go check out the store shelves that have been historically stocked with all the decorative chukkas in the Home Depots, Wal-Marts and CVS Pharmacies of the marketplace…notice how fewer shelves are stocked and how less complex is the inventory. Now…go check out the blogs, the print write-in editorials and the news network clips…do you see any stories of consumers complaining about the hardship economics that have taken away the decorative charm of the holidays?
There are some profound changes taking place that are we are witnessing right now and the impact of these changes extend well past December 25th 2008.
As I have been writing this, CNN.com posted a new headline story that features the death of the malls. The “in depth reporters” writing the story cite in the posting that “the recession is leaving more retail casualties in its wake.”
I bet that these are the same writers that hang out with the writer’s of yesterday’s editorial about how Global Warming is causing the coldest winters in recent times.
Those writers of the mall story are also probably straight and can’t see the fact that most of the malls sport that 80s design that isn’t retro cool…its just dated and dull. It's that dullness combined with the craving for the old town square that has driven most "malls" built since 2000 to be in the outdoor townscape.
You know…with all the Emails and text messages that I get from friends and associates; I actually find interacting with others around a potluck dinner to be much more fun and real.
I’m excited about 2009…and 2010…and 2011… There’s changes taking place before us that will be the future drivers of brand success if brands are engineered around the consumers driving the changes!
So go home earlier, get into that kitchen and cook up your favorite dish, then come on over to our place and let’s kick off a potluck brain-session about all the cool opportunities that are opening up in the changing marketplace!
Happy Holidays…and hey…let’s have safe Journey!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Build It And They Will Come is...
My puppy, whose name is Georgia, is going through her “terrible twos.”
The use of the word “no” doesn’t seem to register all of a sudden. She used to understand that word, but now just seems to have forgotten what it means.
My other dog, whose name is Herschel, is a bit of a cantankerous sort. Any time I talk to him, he growls a little and huffs and snorts. He’s soon to turn 12 years old. And while he does eventually understand the word “no” –when you say it, he still growls.
My two dogs remind me a lot of businesses and prospective clients out there.
Really.
This morning’s electronic version of Ad Age is all about the BIG Three US automakers.
One story is titled, “GM Tells Congress It Plans To Slash $600M in Marketing.”
Another one is titled, “November Car Sales Plummet And Not Only For Detroit.”
And then these two are followed by one titled, “If GM Has A Brand, It’s General Misery.”
Sounds dismal doesn’t it?
There’s even an article titled, “How To Be Fired” that coaches agencies on how to deal with being let go.
The first new car that I bought was a Honda. That was back in the 1970s. Since then, I’ve owned only two American made cars. Both were SUVs…one an Oldsmobile and the other a Ford…and I am not sure I even made it to the two year mark in ownership of either vehicle.
I bought the Honda in 1978.
Back 30 years ago, the market was certainly speaking and speaking louder it became.
In some ways Detroit is a lot like my dog Herschel…but eventually at least he does listen.
Georgia… I told you what?
In today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution, there was a front page story in the business section about a restaurant here in the ATL (Atlanta, that is) called J. Christopher’s.
One of the really cool guys running Grey Advertising Atlanta met me at a J. Christopher’s a couple weeks ago. Kind of a older building that had gone through some urban wear and tear, but nice on the inside and the food was okay.
According to the article, two guys have recently joined up with the folks that started J. Christopher’s to develop a franchise market expansion program for the concept.
These two guys – Holbrook and Haddock (sounds like partners in a law firm doesn’t it!) – come from a near exclusive background of working in the quick service and fast food restaurant industry.
Haddock was the past CEO of AFC’s Popeyes Brand and Holbrook was one of AFC’s founding partners and past president.
Just FYI…the new CEO of Popeyes is a female who was recently featured in the press about how she is having to revive the Popeyes brand and its service deliverable.
I was all okay with these guys until I tripped across a sentence that I re-read a couple of times to make sure I got it right.
Here is what it says…
“The company isn’t concerned about hitting specific targets for the number of new stores opened.”
They really don’t mean “targets” as in “target groups” do they?
Then I read on…
“The most important thing for us as we go forward is that we select the right franchisees,” Holbrook said.
He’s not one of those Build-It-And-They-Will-Come-Junkies is he?
Well… here’s the clincher…
“In order to win Monday through Friday, you have to convince people that breakfast is worth coming in for.”
Okay…let’s go with the flow of the article author… they left behind the BIG chains and are not back in the seat of being young, energized entrepreneurs again.
When I saw the headline, I thought maybe this is worth calling them and telling them about some cool tools that we have to reach out and get into the consumer mindset…find out what consumers need and desire…and how you can deliver an experience that satisfies those needs.
Then again, I thought about my puppy and how many times I have to say the word “no” and how often she doesn’t even listen.
Folks…BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME is DEAD. DEAD.
“J. Christopher’s is banking on customers seeing value in what their restaurants offer”
The verb “Banking” may say it all!
Al Reis is the author of the Ad Age article, “If GM Has A Brand, It’s General Misery” and in his article he captures the point of all of this best
Here is what he wrote…
“In 2007, the U.S. automobile industry spent $4.6 billion on advertising. For all that money, you might think the U.S. automobile industry would have done a lot of brand building.
I wonder.
Take a recent 12-page Saturn insert with the headline "Rethink." Each of Saturn's five models encouraged automobile prospects to doing a little cogitating.
Saturn Aura: "Rethink responsible"
Saturn Vue: "Rethink safe"
Saturn Outlook: "Rethink big"
Saturn Sky: "Rethink adrenaline."
Saturn Astra: "Rethink amusement"
So why should you buy a Saturn? What's the sum-up thought that encompasses the Saturn lineup? I don't know, do you?
Furthermore, Saturn's "rethink" words don't make much sense either. They seem to be borrowed from other brands. Volvos are "safe." Cadillacs are "big." Porsches are "adrenaline." And I have no idea what a "responsible" car is or an "amusement" car.
Oddly enough, if Saturn were a dominant automobile brand, this approach might make a semblance of sense. But in the first 10 months of this year, Saturn's share of the U.S. automobile market was just 1.4%, about the same as RC Cola's share of the cola market.”
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME is DEAD.
So instead of living behind the walls of your brand, get out there!
Ask consumers what they desire…ask customers what makes your experience one that they crave…compare your brand experience to experiences that have consumers waiting in line to get there…
Hey… the road is open and the path is clear…there’s big opportunity on the horizon…
Come get into the MINI COOPER with us and…
Let’s Journey! Woof…Woof!
UPDATE 1/4/2009 - No question that GM is a sinking ship...and their ad agency that produced the set of spots airing in the Bowl Games needs to have their IVs clipped. One of the spots compares a GM gas guzzling mega SUV to the MINI Cooper claiming that the GM SUV gets better gas mileage in the city - another one compares a GrandAm to a BMW. Any other agency folks out there game for an intervention confrontation to get this agency into rehab???
The use of the word “no” doesn’t seem to register all of a sudden. She used to understand that word, but now just seems to have forgotten what it means.
My other dog, whose name is Herschel, is a bit of a cantankerous sort. Any time I talk to him, he growls a little and huffs and snorts. He’s soon to turn 12 years old. And while he does eventually understand the word “no” –when you say it, he still growls.
My two dogs remind me a lot of businesses and prospective clients out there.
Really.
This morning’s electronic version of Ad Age is all about the BIG Three US automakers.
One story is titled, “GM Tells Congress It Plans To Slash $600M in Marketing.”
Another one is titled, “November Car Sales Plummet And Not Only For Detroit.”
And then these two are followed by one titled, “If GM Has A Brand, It’s General Misery.”
Sounds dismal doesn’t it?
There’s even an article titled, “How To Be Fired” that coaches agencies on how to deal with being let go.
The first new car that I bought was a Honda. That was back in the 1970s. Since then, I’ve owned only two American made cars. Both were SUVs…one an Oldsmobile and the other a Ford…and I am not sure I even made it to the two year mark in ownership of either vehicle.
I bought the Honda in 1978.
Back 30 years ago, the market was certainly speaking and speaking louder it became.
In some ways Detroit is a lot like my dog Herschel…but eventually at least he does listen.
Georgia… I told you what?
In today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution, there was a front page story in the business section about a restaurant here in the ATL (Atlanta, that is) called J. Christopher’s.
One of the really cool guys running Grey Advertising Atlanta met me at a J. Christopher’s a couple weeks ago. Kind of a older building that had gone through some urban wear and tear, but nice on the inside and the food was okay.
According to the article, two guys have recently joined up with the folks that started J. Christopher’s to develop a franchise market expansion program for the concept.
These two guys – Holbrook and Haddock (sounds like partners in a law firm doesn’t it!) – come from a near exclusive background of working in the quick service and fast food restaurant industry.
Haddock was the past CEO of AFC’s Popeyes Brand and Holbrook was one of AFC’s founding partners and past president.
Just FYI…the new CEO of Popeyes is a female who was recently featured in the press about how she is having to revive the Popeyes brand and its service deliverable.
I was all okay with these guys until I tripped across a sentence that I re-read a couple of times to make sure I got it right.
Here is what it says…
“The company isn’t concerned about hitting specific targets for the number of new stores opened.”
They really don’t mean “targets” as in “target groups” do they?
Then I read on…
“The most important thing for us as we go forward is that we select the right franchisees,” Holbrook said.
He’s not one of those Build-It-And-They-Will-Come-Junkies is he?
Well… here’s the clincher…
“In order to win Monday through Friday, you have to convince people that breakfast is worth coming in for.”
Okay…let’s go with the flow of the article author… they left behind the BIG chains and are not back in the seat of being young, energized entrepreneurs again.
When I saw the headline, I thought maybe this is worth calling them and telling them about some cool tools that we have to reach out and get into the consumer mindset…find out what consumers need and desire…and how you can deliver an experience that satisfies those needs.
Then again, I thought about my puppy and how many times I have to say the word “no” and how often she doesn’t even listen.
Folks…BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME is DEAD. DEAD.
“J. Christopher’s is banking on customers seeing value in what their restaurants offer”
The verb “Banking” may say it all!
Al Reis is the author of the Ad Age article, “If GM Has A Brand, It’s General Misery” and in his article he captures the point of all of this best
Here is what he wrote…
“In 2007, the U.S. automobile industry spent $4.6 billion on advertising. For all that money, you might think the U.S. automobile industry would have done a lot of brand building.
I wonder.
Take a recent 12-page Saturn insert with the headline "Rethink." Each of Saturn's five models encouraged automobile prospects to doing a little cogitating.
Saturn Aura: "Rethink responsible"
Saturn Vue: "Rethink safe"
Saturn Outlook: "Rethink big"
Saturn Sky: "Rethink adrenaline."
Saturn Astra: "Rethink amusement"
So why should you buy a Saturn? What's the sum-up thought that encompasses the Saturn lineup? I don't know, do you?
Furthermore, Saturn's "rethink" words don't make much sense either. They seem to be borrowed from other brands. Volvos are "safe." Cadillacs are "big." Porsches are "adrenaline." And I have no idea what a "responsible" car is or an "amusement" car.
Oddly enough, if Saturn were a dominant automobile brand, this approach might make a semblance of sense. But in the first 10 months of this year, Saturn's share of the U.S. automobile market was just 1.4%, about the same as RC Cola's share of the cola market.”
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME is DEAD.
So instead of living behind the walls of your brand, get out there!
Ask consumers what they desire…ask customers what makes your experience one that they crave…compare your brand experience to experiences that have consumers waiting in line to get there…
Hey… the road is open and the path is clear…there’s big opportunity on the horizon…
Come get into the MINI COOPER with us and…
Let’s Journey! Woof…Woof!
UPDATE 1/4/2009 - No question that GM is a sinking ship...and their ad agency that produced the set of spots airing in the Bowl Games needs to have their IVs clipped. One of the spots compares a GM gas guzzling mega SUV to the MINI Cooper claiming that the GM SUV gets better gas mileage in the city - another one compares a GrandAm to a BMW. Any other agency folks out there game for an intervention confrontation to get this agency into rehab???
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
