Except for the electric company. They required my wife to go to one of their offices with a valid picture ID. Let's think about this for a minute:

1. Her valid picture ID is her Louisiana driver's license.
2. In Louisiana, we renew online, which means we get a sticker to put on the back.
3. We can get a valid Arizona ID, once we have proof of residence…like an electric bill.
4. They aren't asking for proof the house belongs to us, just a picture ID.

So my wife goes to one of their offices to present her picture ID. We had just closed on the house, so she had that paperwork with her. Here's what happened:

1. She showed her Louisiana driver's license.
2. The person behind the counter didn't like the little sticker on the back.
3. That person also wasn't interested in any of the paperwork showing that the house was ours, which included a notarized statement that the Louisiana ID was valid.
4. The person behind the counter accepted her work ID badge, which has nothing but her picture on it.

I can understand strict compliance to processes. In fact, I usually insist upon them. When they make sense. This was a ridiculous exercise that had no meaning.

Look at the various processes and hoops you force people to suffer through on a regular basis. Experience them as your customers do. What makes sense and what doesn't? What produces a meaningful result? What fails to offer true validity?

If you can get to the same place you need to without that step or with one that makes more sense, then pull it out of the process. Otherwise, you are getting the relationship off on the wrong foot.

:: :: ::

For the company, finding that customer should be an act of desperation, begging the current resident for assistance in locating Joe. When the current resident helps, reward him with something that will make him a customer as well. Even if they can't help, thank them for the effort.

But when "or Current Resident" is part of communication, you show that you care less about the customer and more about saying whatever you want to say or just making a sale. That's not building loyalty.

And if you're not focused on building loyalty, then why did you invest in a database marketing system to being with?

:: :: ::

First, let me start with the two real estate agents we used—one in New Orleans and the other in Phoenix. Each has a good understanding of their respective markets and gives what appears to be good advice to clients. Where they differed (greatly) was in their follow-up. One followed up at every turn, often calling as soon as she had something to tell us. The other, not so much. In fact, more often than not, we were calling looking for answers.

The agent that had hardwired the follow-up into activity is, by far, the more successful agent.

Next, comes my lawn guy. I have the misfortune to be allergic to most grasses. Cutting my grass tends to put me into a bit of a sinus coma. It's not fun. So, we had a lawn guy in New Orleans take care of our yard. He had been doing it for us for the past few years normally was highly reliable. This year, proved to be a much different story. Weeks would go by without us seeing him. Other things he had promised—weeding our front garden and powerwashing the house and sidewalk—simply didn't happen.

As we were showing the house and getting to crunch time (receiving and accepting offers on the house and going through the inspections and appraisal), he was nowhere to be found. The grass crept about ankle level, approaching mid-calf. I called him, and he promised to be out that day. Two days later, he still hadn't shown or called back to say he wasn't going to be there. I called again. Same thing. I called two more times before he showed up—after we'd made the sale.

My guess is that after the owners settle in, he'll approach them about continuing to care for the yard. Since they saw how "well" he maintained it, I'll bet they turn him down. Other neighbors probably won't look to him for his services either.

I had similar experiences with other service providers, just with this one event.

Here's the thing. When it comes to service, you need to go above and beyond. Keep people informed. Make certain that your work can speak for itself. Exceed people's expectations.

:: :: ::

The same is true for your brand. Its success or failure is based on certain choices you have made when facing a variety of decisions. And if we could all accurately predict the future, selecting one option over the other would be that much easier.

Maybe you don't need a crystal ball, however, to make a good guess at where your decisions will lead. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of extra thinking and analysis. For example, when Apple suddenly dropped the price of the iPhone by $200 just a few months after its launch, the company should have easily predicted that those who had purchased one of the gadgets would feel like they'd been duped. Instead, they waited for their customers to complain loudly before responding.

Think about all of the choices you can make about your brand:

• Price changes
• New products or extensions
• Product deletions
• Packaging modifications
• Component changes
• Re-formulations
• Cost-cutting measures

Before you select an option, play it out with some people. Use a whiteboard. Get feedback. Consider what the various reactions would be from your customers, competitors, suppliers, ultimate consumers, employees. Do you like what those reactions will most probably be? Are they right for the long-term health of the brand?

The more consideration you give to the choices you make, the better those choices will be.

:: :: ::

So, we look for ways to accurately measure our performance (there's a ton of research and numerous books and training on how to do it, much of which is out of reach cost-wise for most small to medium-sized businesses).

Some folks will just look at sales. If sales are up, we must be doing something right. But a pure look at sales may not account for promotional pricing, especially when it is out of your control.

Others will look at read rates for their e-mail campaigns. Many people, like me, use the reading pane for their e-mails, never to click them open. So much for that.

Maybe you can troll forums and blogs to see what people are saying about you. It's a great idea (and everyone should be doing this), but those will only be those people with something to say.

Think about surveys for a minute. Often they are reported as a certain percentage of Americans (or whatever demographic group) believe such-and-such. While, statistically speaking, sampling can give you a pretty good idea of what the group as a whole thinks or feels, the reality is that it is the percentage of those people that decided to respond to the survey. As Mark Twain said, "There are lies, damn lies and statistics."

There is no easy answer. How you go about measuring your performance depends somewhat on the type of business you are in. There are some things you can do, however, that will improve your ability to measure:

• Avoid measuring in general terms like overall sales. When using sales as a barometer, focus on particular segments, markets and geographic areas that match your targeted content.
• Identify processes and outcomes that are measurable. In other words, look for those specific items that, when done correctly, lead to positive outcomes. It could be how you generate content, make decisions, fill orders, handle complaints or deliver the product.
• Measure things that are within you control and that you can manage.
• Only measure when you can collect the data.
• Be able to use what you measure to improve what you do and how you do it.
• Measure the things that you can share with those accountable for the performance.

By putting the right measures in place, you will put yourself and your brand in the best possible position to succeed.

:: :: ::

Unfortunately for suppliers, their credibility with the public has sunk over time as we have experienced the cheap but not-so-wonderful wonder cleaner and the economical but not-so-tasty bursting-with-taste ready meal... The suppliers have done their marketing aggressively and as a result we, the general public, are now programmed to expect rock-bottom prices 'at all costs'.

But how can they produce the goods and services we demand at the prices we expect? It's not rocket science. They clearly have to cut their costs to match both customer and share-holder expectations. Outsourcing production to a cheaper labour market is one obvious way, and finding the cheapest source of raw material is another. Being super-efficient helps, as does employing as few people as possible. A less attractive cost-cutting measure is to cut corners - deliberately lowering the quality of the product or service by sourcing an inferior material or using a faster, but less effective, manufacturing process. Then seeking to hide the fact that the product is actually of inferior quality by basically tricking us one way or another, or by making wonderful claims, saying that it's good, it's great, it does this, it does that... The shopping activity itself is also an economy class experience, with self help and self check out.

The sad fact is that we've become used to these inferior products and services - because they are the norm. We've almost forgotten what quality means. We have a dull, almost sub-conscious, recollection of friendly personal service, and products that do what they say they will do. But the present consumer experience falls far short of that. And so our expectations are low. We unwrap the fancy packaging and find a tiny thing inside. Are we surprised or have we seen it all before? We wash the shirt once and it...well...changes. The anti-aging cream doesn't make us look ten years younger but we still buy some more. What choice do we have?

Well I have a choice! And I think you do too if you're able to spend a little time and effort. A lovely little corner fruit and veg shop has just opened in the village where I live. I can now hand-pick my fresh broccholi and chat to the guy at the counter who seems to remember me from last week - that's quality.

I buy my skin care, health supplements and household cleaning products from a company that doesn't spend money advertising, sells concentrates and uses minimum packaging - that's quality. It means I have to plan a week or two ahead (my online order is delivered to my house). And I certainly don't pay the cheapest price. Instead I pay a very fair price for products that do what they say. There's a 100% money back guarantee so this company can't afford for it to be any other way.

You may think this is freaky but I stopped watching televison a couple of years ago. Instead I read books that help me to grow as a person - that's quality. Instead of Constant Negative News I fill my mind with stuff that uplifts me and stretches me. As a result I'm happier and more effective in the things I do.

Any other ideas on how to bring quality back into life? I'd be glad to hear from you! And if you want to know how to get hold of the products and books that I love, let me know.

Julia Brown

Brand management is about building brand value. It's about making a brand worth more than it costs to maintain it. Managing a brand is like managing a business. For several brands, that is the business.

I've identified 18 components that determine a brand's value. I'll discuss them over three posts, with this one being the first.

The actual brand and product you are selling. There are several types of products—consumer goods, services, social causes, images—all intended to serve existing and anticipated needs. Understanding what your product is and the actual needs it serves is key to defining your brand.

The brand's positioning. In defining your brand, you have to create an expectation of what it is going to do and represent. It is what differentiates you from the competition. The brand's positioning tells the story and guides the overall strategy.

The target consumer. Identifying your brand's target consumer goes well beyond basic demographics. Knowing who your real consumers are pushes psychographics to its limits, describing a typical day, month, year in their lives. Only then can you speak directly to them.

Your promotion strategy. How you package your branded product, craft and communicate your message and allocate the resources behind it are the heart of your promotion strategy.

The product and brand design. Form and function of a product give long-term credibility to the brand. The logo, packaging, materials and how you use them must reinforce the brand's image.

Consistency of the brand message. Everything—absolutely everything—about the brand must be consistent with its central message.

We'll cover the next group of six tomorrow.

:: :: ::

• At commercial breaks, Maybelline offered tips to achieving the same looks seen on the show
• Bonfire, the fashion magazine serving as a focus in the series, is a semi-real magazine online
• They share the titles and artists of music featured in the episodes (though, they missed the opportunity to take that an easy step further with links either to the artists or a location to purchase the songs) at the website
• Also at the site, they use the fashion featured on the three stars in collaboration with SeenON! (as have other shows)

NBC includes bios, recaps, communities, videos, widgets, wallpapers and various other "stuff" on the shows pages, as do its chief rivals CBS and ABC. A lot of what they are doing with Lipstick Jungle are not new. This time, though, they have gone deeper in establishing a solid partner with Maybelline to bring these elements together in both worlds–online and on TV. It is an effective way to send a consistent message in multiple arenas without being overly diluted.

Granted, these messages are about fashion. But those are important to a lot of viewers. And that is the point. NBC has a show providing its viewers something of greater value when they are not watching Lipstick Jungle. They have tried it with other shows, mostly confined to the NBC site. This time, advertisers and other sellers are in on the act.

From a branding perspective, Maybelline and SeenON! make for nice extensions. They found a match in a show that has a good chance at even moderate success, giving potential and existing customers new ways to interact with them. At the same time, NBC creates a connection with an audience it lost when Friends went off the air. It's a great example of marketing integration.

:: :: ::

The types of widgets out in the web world run the gamut from pure entertainment (games, joke-of-the-day) to promotions (countdown clocks, movie/TV/music promos) to social tracking (what I am doing) to feed aggregators (news, blogs, gossip). They can be temporary, such as countdown clocks, or somewhat permanent in the form of RSS readers. You can create the most basic widgets from templates or design them from scratch. And it won't be long (easily, within the year) before you will see some widgets acting as fully functional websites.

Many people, me included, had written them off as mere time wasters or things that were just neat to have. That was before I took a closer look. Here are just a few ways I see widgets benefiting businesses of all shapes and sizes:

• Goal charts for internal and external users
• Progress updates
• News and blogs of particular interest to staff or customers
• Introducing new promotional materials or advertising
• A co-located website within a partner's web page

Not every application is going to work with every type of business, but the possibilities are almost endless.

Before deciding what widgets to use and how to use them, first learn what is important for your audience, whether it is your staff, your clients, customers or intermediaries. What information do or can you provide for them on a regular basis that they would like to have at their fingertips? Promote it where they are, then let them come to you.

I've created a couple of widgets from two different providers that pull the feeds from my blogs. You can see them here. These are basic and meant to show some variety in styles. I'll be developing more, with different functions, which I will post on my site.

:: :: ::

Esta certíssimo o Karl Long. Muito importante o que é a primeira vez, principalmente no caso das lojas online o famigerado processo de registro... Mas sem duvida acrescento a experiência toda, incluindo a entrega, formas de pagamento etc.

Outro aprendizado do estudo: 85% da população online mundial já fez pelo menos uma compra na internet.

Whenever I've been wandering aimlessly down an aisle appearing completely lost (which happens all too often), usually someone is there to guide me in the right direction. What's more, they stop what they are doing, answer my questions and make recommendations. If they don't have the exact item I am seeking, they help me identify a good alternative.

On this particular day, we made it through the store pretty easily. As usual, my two youngest wanted to sit in the double-seater car in front of the shopping cart. The older is getting a little too big to do that, and I told her as much. As we were nearing the end of our trip, she decided it was too cramped and got out. The youngest then wanted out as well. When I told her to stay in the car, the tantrum started.

We made our way to the checkout, tears flowing (hers not mine...yet), the occasional "I'm mad at you, Daddy" and sideways glances from other patrons. While unloading the cart, a young lady that was helping bag groceries pulled out a basket of snacks and approached the banshee hoping to soothe her. The youngest took a box of raisins and my other grabbed other treats. Amazingly, the crying subsided, and we were able to complete the transaction and get out of the store without further incident.

When I told my wife the story, she quickly informed me that they always offer those to kids for free. I, obviously, had not been aware of that tidbit. But it didn't really matter whether I had known about it or not. The fact remains, the staff at Whole Foods continue to serve their customers. They are living and openly demonstrating one of their core values:

Extraordinary Customer Service
We go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy and delight our customers. We want to meet or exceed their expectations on every shopping trip. We know that by doing so we turn customers into advocates for our business. Advocates do more than shop with us, they talk about Whole Foods to their friends and others. We want to serve our customers competently, efficiently, knowledgeably and with flair.

What more can you do to emulate this kind of customer service? Do your actions and behaviors match your core values? Do you have a set of core values? Are they written down? Where people can see them?

If you are not satisfying (no, delighting) your customers, you are not setting yourself up for successful, long-term growth.

:: :: ::

Maybe I should be more of a snob and buy sheets based on the number of threads. But I'm not. So I have to say I was taken aback when I received an e-mail titled "Thread Count Settlement" from Bed Bath and Beyond. My first reaction was to take it as a sign of the Apocalypse. Then, being my nerd self, I investigated further.

It appears that a plaintiff accused Bed Bath and Beyond and co-defendant Synergy, Inc., of mislabeling the bedsheets it sold between August 1, 2000, and November 9, 2007. The defendants deny the claims and any wrongdoing. Understandably so.

In the settlement documents, there is a reference to ASTM Fabric Standards. A clarification in the standard for thread count came about in 2003, which apparently addresses what is claimed in the lawsuit. A less technical explanation appears in Wikipedia. In that explanation, however, is a telling quote: "For marketing purposes, a fabric with 250 yarns (per square inch) in both the vertical and horizontal direction could have the component threads counted to a 1,000 thread count." So called "standard" cotton thread counts are 150. Over 180 indicates good quality. Some would even argue that the quality of the fiber is more important anyway.

I can imagine how the conversation started way back when:

"What's the thread count on these bedsheets?"

"Well, technically, it's 150. But the standard is a little vague. If we use two-ply yarns, we'll say it's 600."

"That's why you're in marketing!"

The American Textile Manufacturing Institute sees this practice as misleading. Also, understandably so.

While they may not have stepped outside of a strict reading of the standard (at the time), the defendants, allegedly, overlooked the spirit of the standard. And in the process, Bed Bath and Beyond has damaged its credibility.

Would I have put even this much effort into learning about thread counts if I hadn't gotten that e-mail? No. But the next time I'm in the market for sheets, I'll give the label close scrutiny. Not because I want a specific thread count. I just don't want to give anyone much wiggle room.

The philosophy is simple. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

:: :: ::

That got me thinking. If your organization gave consumers or the media an all-access pass to your daily activity, what stories would they tell? Would it make you proud? Or would you want to run and hide?

I'm not talking about someone visiting for a day or so. Or even a week. Anyone can plan those out enough, putting their best foot forward.

What I am talking about is what happens when you think no one else is watching or listening. You know, like those employees that may leave...

Imagine there are hidden cameras and recording devices everywhere. Did you just shudder? If so, something needs to change. Now.

What goes on behind-the-scenes sets the tone for the entire organization, directly impacting the value of your brand.

:: :: ::

About a week later, two letters arrived on the same day...giving me two different reasons why they couldn't remove my PMI. I investigated the reasons they cited and found them to be false. I sent them another secure message stating as much and requested, again, removal of the PMI. The website, again, promised a response within one business day. Three days later, no response. So I called them again.

This time I spoke to someone, and she confirmed that I was indeed correct. She promised a letter would come in the mail stating that the PMI would be removed. The letter still hasn't come. I decided to check online to see if they made any changes to the account. That's when I found a response to my other message, more than a week after I sent it. It said that we (my wife and I) hadn't hit the required LTV for our house, but an additional payment would get us there and they could remove it.

Seeing a third different reason for not removing the PMI, I called again. This time, the young lady on the other end politely told me that because we hadn't hit the required LTV, which was a different number than mentioned above and would require an additional payment 10 times what we were quoted online.

Now we are at four different reasons why they can't remove the PMI. Oh, and by the way, she told me, it's the investor for that mortgage that has these rules, not Washington Mutual.

The rules are the rules, no matter how ridiculous I happen to believe those rules to be (and these are pretty bad). That really hasn't been my problem with this entire situation. My issue is with the terrible customer service. Taking more than a week to respond after promising a day. Giving false information as the basis for a decision. Providing the wrong information. Having a different reason for each interaction why they can't fulfill a request. And this is on top of how they treated mortgagees after Katrina. For instance, they did not offer any assistance with paying monthly notes, and they held on to a portion of our insurance check for nearly 18 months after we demonstrated that we completed all the repairs.

Hopefully, you are treating your customers with more respect than this and are actually serving them.

:: :: ::

I recently wrote another post about creating experiences for your audience. This is a terrific example. Send me some of yours.

Currently, OnStar is only available on GM models. Alas, I drive a Honda.

:: :: ::

It reminded me of Disney's Philharmagic, where you feel immersed in the scene. While at the basest level it is a cartoon, it really is an experience. With some of the current and coming improvements in digital filming and deployment, there will be further opportunities for moviegoers to feel a though they are part of the action, a combination of sight, scent and sound. The studios and theaters that work together to make it happen will enjoy a distinct advantage over their competitors.

But we don't necessarily need to wait for new technology for us to create great experiences for our consumers. Much like Philharmagic, what can you do to elevate your basic communication with your customers to an interactive experience? Apple has done a good job through its stores (see a great piece about Apple here). What about you? What is lacking? What can you do better?

How can we help?

By the way, we enjoyed the movie and would recommend it for pre-teens and up. My six-year-old was a little scared at some scenes.

Let me know your thoughts.

:: :: ::

A company that has the inability to build a healthly internal community of 'opt-in users' both internally [with employees] and externally [with consumers] is pretty much dead in the water as far as I am concerned. Key words..... 'opt-in'! Its all about choice and that includes accessing the positive mindspace and feelings of employees and customers towards your company/brand.

Sure I hear the words 'community' in a corporate when someone is referring to CSI and 'sharing' maybe when a data network is being developed, my 'best' are phrases like 'building consumer trust'. These words in the corporate context are shallow, especially when held up against the rapid adoption and growth rate of opt-in users in some on-line Social Networks....

A dictionary meaning for the word community states :"a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage." Why are companies not trying harder to build communities that share and trust.....? Sadly because they would have to be open, honest and give...... and they have forgotten how to do that!

With technology driving so much change nowadays it is really silly that Corporates are not taking more notice of its trends and lessons... well here's a heads up for those with the 'open door policy'...just hope your ears are not closed!

Posted by: Candice

Starbucks-bezoekers gaan draadloos muziek kunen downloaden via iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. Dit op voorwaarde dat ze in één van de deelnemende Starbucks binnenstappen. Bezoekers kunnen kiezen uit millioenen liedjes, die ze via een iPod Touch, iPhone, PC met Wireless aansluiting of Mac kunnen downloaden (via iTunes, natuurlijk :) ). Er bestaat zelfs een 'Now Playing'-functie dat de titel van het liedje, dat op dat moment in Starbucks afgespeeld wordt, afbeeldt.

"Getting free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and the ‘Now Playing’ service at Starbucks is a great way for customers to discover new music. Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool", aldus een enthousiaste Steve Jobs, CEO van Apple.

Voorlopig wordt het systeem in America verspreid en geperfectioneerd. Uiteindelijk maakt het niet echt zoveel uit. We hebben toch geen Starbucks in Brussel!

Weer een mooi voorbeeld dat duidt op het belang van Consumenten Belevenis. Merken proberen de consument iets onvergetelijks te doen beleven. Met alle positieve gevolgen vandien (merkloyaliteit, mogelijk herhaalaankoop, TMP, ... ). Persoonlijk vind ik het een heel leuk initiatief. Waarschijnlijk omdat ik een muziekfanaat en een cafeïne-junkie ben. Een koffietje drinken met op de achtergrond één van mijn lievelingsdeuntjes, klinkt goed.

Dubbelopdracht: vind u dit een goed initiatief én zouden we ook eindelijk een Brusselse Starbucks moeten hebben? Cafeïne-junkies unite!

Voor het volledige artikel, klik hier.