Would you go into a bar and ask someone to marry you? Not if you want to get anywhere. Then why do companies do essentially the same thing? Let your prospects get to know you, experience your products and services, and then later talk about ‘more’. Date first Start by offering something of value to your audience. Take Naturepedic, a leading manufacturer of organic crib mattresses. Their web site is full of educational articles about…

Darwin was one sharp guy. Through observation, Darwin learned that animals adapt to survive. They don’t adapt to be different or get noticed. They adapt to live. The same thinking applies to your business. Evolve or become extinct Take the baby Sally Lightfoot crabs found in the Galapagos. The young crabs are black and well camouflaged amongst the black lava rocks. They’ve adapted to survive. The adults, which earned their name by being swift and…

If Susie had some information at the Delta airlines counter on March 25th, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. But she didn’t. Here’s the abridged story…We were waiting for a delayed flight from Akron, OH to Atlanta, GA. In Atlanta, we were catching a flight to Ecuador. (Did I mention that there’s only one flight a day from Atlanta to Ecuador?) Fast forward to an hour after our flight was scheduled to depart Akron. Our…

Last night’s Oscars were such a bore. The “Academy” blew it. They neglected to deliver what their customers wanted. If only they had conducted consumer research. “Critics pan 83rd Academy Awards hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco as the most boring ever” was one of numerous headlines blasting the event. The Academy thought their audience wanted young and beautiful, so they delivered young and beautiful a la Franco and Hathaway. And, that’s all they…

Do you? Touring Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, TN, is the ultimate brand experience. From their iconic web site, www.jackdaniels.com, to arriving at their sole distillery in the world (see the welcome sign below), to adventuring across the picturesque footbridge to town and the Lynchburg General Store, you’re bathed in Jack Daniel’s. Unlike the Hershey chocolate factory tour in PA, which is sterile and impersonal, this one invites you into their world – their production…

Don’t know? You need to. If you want to keep your customers, that is. And given that obtaining new customers can cost five times more than satisfying and retaining current customers, it’s pretty important. According to a study by the American Society for Quality, 68% of customers leave due to indifference on the part of a service provider. Think customers walk because they had a dreadful experience? Four times as many split “due to indifference.”…

Frequency is critical to building a brand. Paris Hilton is a pro. In a comprehensive study of entertainment photos taken by Getty Images over a twelve month period, Paris Hilton attended 95 events which is more than Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and George Clooney combined. Her constant visibility keeps her top of mind. The result? Lucrative endorsements. What are you doing to keep your brand top of mind?

Last week, Gap, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, introduced a new logo. Within a short week, the jean machine pulled the new logo (bottom logo) and replaced it with its traditional, iconic blue box (top logo). What went wrong? Not everything. Gap attracted the attention of some of the big names in news from the New York Times to Ad Age to influential marketing blogs. Free PR isn’t a bad thing. However, had…

Focus your marketing on the action you want your customer to take and you’ll enjoy increased response rates and a greater return on your marketing investment. What’s the real purpose of your marketing? To put it simply: action. Regardless of the type of marketing you’re doing, the goal is to get prospects to do something that gets them closer to your brand. Why is a call-to-action important? For two reasons: 1) It’s your opportunity to…

Know zappos.com?  Regardless of what business you’re in, you should.  When it comes to serving their customers, they’re the best. Working with large and small businesses across a myriad of industries, we see customers with strong loyalties and those who will move their business for $1.  Strong loyalties are often the result of a heartfelt connection.  It’s a lot harder to leave a relationship when you feel it in your heart vs. your wallet. So,…