tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154725172024-03-07T12:08:38.534-08:00The villager next doorMy name is Mbugua Njihia.I come from a tiny village in Africa, in Kenya to be precise.But I belong to a different kind of village, the global kind.Experiences that I undergo as I take my stake in the business that is Africa is what I share on this pulpit.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-84813379449743426692007-09-22T07:16:00.000-07:002007-09-22T07:48:11.710-07:00Business at a stand still at SasanetSasanet who are from their website <span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>" A limited liability company wholly owned by Kenyans and licensed by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) to provide a range of Telecommunication Services, information <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1h7XkPv5nsv9aebGS62Yry1B7QX1Nvf7qbqNFABZus-iX33lB5QJb2lPlc8A_AZc11mk2ZzZG8Ovr-Xv_BOeRg7LK8l3Ls-md5QlKo7KOX2B_OEFqkAOFIHmT1NAVZ_UJoOS/s1600-h/DSC00057.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113039025728713154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="194" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1h7XkPv5nsv9aebGS62Yry1B7QX1Nvf7qbqNFABZus-iX33lB5QJb2lPlc8A_AZc11mk2ZzZG8Ovr-Xv_BOeRg7LK8l3Ls-md5QlKo7KOX2B_OEFqkAOFIHmT1NAVZ_UJoOS/s400/DSC00057.JPG" width="223" border="0" /></a>management solutions to our local and international clients. It is a company dedicated to improving the efficiency of communications to our customers. </em></span>" seem to have hit a major snag in their operations.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wVAdz0B8_DRkckBEv9rXVVnoyCV9gKf8grgMQ28PpC14S2hR9tgpvQywZyQ5VlIyRLWxXEV8mnB4xj-_8_s97BEQyNTxzgIJv-n-crnM7ec291uZNwgpbCm_35YXtBtGFcg3/s1600-h/DSC00070.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113039017138778546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="200" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wVAdz0B8_DRkckBEv9rXVVnoyCV9gKf8grgMQ28PpC14S2hR9tgpvQywZyQ5VlIyRLWxXEV8mnB4xj-_8_s97BEQyNTxzgIJv-n-crnM7ec291uZNwgpbCm_35YXtBtGFcg3/s400/DSC00070.JPG" width="219" border="0" /></a>Auctioneers fell upon their premises with such zeal and zest that the workers were left bewildered. Though the reason for the impounding was not readliy established, this deals a serious blow to one of Kenya's leading VAS providers. We can only hope they get back on their feet real soon, otherwise the loss in buisness will run in the millions.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-14534741358856051662007-08-31T07:42:00.000-07:002007-08-31T07:52:30.456-07:00Lip stickingWe have been working on an east africa portal for women, covering all manner of channels. Though we did a number of focus groups, I still felt the need to delve deeper into the mindset of she to find out exactly what would make them burn with desire to engage on our site - <a href="http://www.allwoman.co.ke/">www.allwoman.co.ke</a>.<br /><br />The hunt is on...dickless marketing .creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-45306975484809614622007-07-13T04:05:00.000-07:002007-07-13T04:06:59.465-07:00The Long TailEvery once in a while a book comes along that completely captures and defines a particular period. Nicholas Negroponte’s Being Digital defined the blossoming digital culture of the mid 90’s, now The Long Tail shows how the Internet will radically change our habits and behaviour.<br /><br />Chris Anderson illustrates how our buying habits have been shaped by the economics of big business, creating the blockbuster culture; the selling of a narrow range of products to the biggest possible group of consumers. Anderson shows how the Internet, through companies such as eBay, Google and Amazon, radically changes that, allowing us to be more exploratory and specific about what we buy.<br /><br />“The theory of the Long Tail is that our culture and economy is increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of “hits” (mainstream products and markets) at the head of the demand curve and toward a huge number of niches in the tail. As the costs of production and distribution fall, especially online, there is now less need to lump products and consumers into one-size-fits-all containers. In an era without the constraints of physical shelf space and other bottlenecks of distribution, narrowly-target goods and services can be as economically attractive as mainstream fare.”<br /><br />Anderson provides and eloquent and detailed analysis of various aspects of Internet culture and business and illustrates how the explosion of niche markets and filtering tools will allow us to zero-in on things that interest us, potentially shattering the hold that large manufacturers and retailers have exercised since the mid 20th century.<br /><br />The Long Tail Book Review: Why The Future Of Business Is Selling Less Of More (95%)The Long Tail effect is not limited to buying and selling, the process by which the book was written is a case in point. Anderson (editor in chief of Wired magazine) published the original Long Tail article in Wired back in October 04. The article rapidly became a hit and mushroomed into the Long Tail blog which Anderson used to publicly research and test his theories. Shortly before the publication date earlier this month, Anderson released copies of the book to bloggers across the globe for review. The process is a perfect example of a product being tested and developed publicly, thereby generating enough word of mouth interest to create a ready market for it. The strategy was proved a resounding success by the book’s appearance in Amazon’s top ten non-fiction list on its publication day.<br /><br />Although The Long Tail is a business book, it is also about culture in general and how it’s changing. Freed from the constraints of the blockbuster culture, the consumer is able to delve into niches he never knew existed and also to contribute in a way that was not previously possible. The success of social software services such as Flickr and YouTube has allowed the audience to create and share their own material generating a genuinely new, interactive media which is actually competing in some respects with mainstream broadcast media.<br /><br />The Long Tail Book Review: Why The Future Of Business Is Selling Less Of More (95%)Some have taken this to mean that Anderson is sounding the death knell for blockbusters, something which he was at pains to counter on his blog, “Hits Aren’t Dead” he said, “I never said they were. What is dead is the monopoly of the hit. For too long hits or products intended to be hits have had the stage to themselves, because only hit-centric companies had access to the retail channel and the retail channel only had room for best-sellers. But now blockbusters must share the stage with a million niche products, and this will lead to a very different marketplace.”<br /><br />While not all the ideas in The Long Tail are Anderson’s own, like any good journalist, he manages to articulate the complexities of a difficult subject in a lucid and entertaining style.<br /><br />Summary<br />The Long Tail is an important manual for the new economics of the Internet and digital culture. As well as demystifying the numbers it provides an essential guide to how to navigate a world where everything is available, all the time.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-68336259439807575952007-06-26T22:39:00.000-07:002007-06-26T22:44:39.144-07:00Meeting with the Google teamI had the opportunity to meet up with Mr. Mucheru, who is now the head of Google’s Africa operation as pertains product penetration. He did make me aware that Egypt and South Africa also have Google offices but only in sales capacity, which is why his appointment was churned out as Google’s first African employee.<br /><br />In his days at the helm of Wananchi Online, we had been collaborating on a few ideas that touched on convergence of communication. We had looked at creating a product that would cross cut devices and deliver local and customizable content free or at minimal cost.<br /><br />The project was christened – Project Anywhere as the platform was to transcend boundaries and devices. We had looked at various open source options and had kinda settled on one particular (half) open source platform that would deliver email and sms functionality as well as give capability to build on it to expand functionality.<br /><br />Our major impediment then became cost of acquisition (remember half open source ), and venture capitalist firms had too many questions and banks…lets just say we were not their core business and wouldn’t be for a long time to come.<br /><br />We busied ourselves refining user experience and picking at our product as we awaited funding from several promising angel investors. Several false starts is what we had…until today.<br /><br />We walked through our product / service offering and it future and way in which Google can partner and support the same. Key highlights of our talks was the monetizing of content, building local content repositories and having the internet (read as technology) add value to individual as well as corporate users.<br /><br />Google has met us halfway, as they will have a presence at the local exchange points (KIXP), meaning that they will bear the costs of any outbound traffic, and local traffic will be kept local reducing costs. This will also improve the access speeds of our services.<br /><br />We will also have access to Google’s development team, to help tweak and bring our ideas into life in record time and to world class standard…those geeks have to amount to something aye! Imagine plug-in in to their weekend boot camp…<br /><br />We are looking at payment integration, location services, content channels, education and messaging solutions as a start.<br /><br />The good news is, we are ready to go. As from end of next week we will be officially online, riding on scalable infrastructure and world class technology to boot.<br /><br />It has been a while coming, but we are here.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-20232543916564816532007-06-10T22:30:00.000-07:002007-06-10T22:38:59.775-07:00Peupe - the locally asembled blogging platform<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy4z2_fQ5tCZKNd4dkCGV075ztHYPFQDOHxNgOP56PXEe90lXHxhnemadL1e_uI5zhHYJCWrrq959ZtU4qF2eV7CfQuZ48V0bgT_RBYCmpX73l7L6bpaeTpivHKLscqlufuX0/s1600-h/peupe-logo-small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy4z2_fQ5tCZKNd4dkCGV075ztHYPFQDOHxNgOP56PXEe90lXHxhnemadL1e_uI5zhHYJCWrrq959ZtU4qF2eV7CfQuZ48V0bgT_RBYCmpX73l7L6bpaeTpivHKLscqlufuX0/s400/peupe-logo-small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074676639695102050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><h4 style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; font-family: georgia; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I think this is pretty cool that we are developing local competency in the tools that will power the next web.My pal the <a href="http://subsaharancoder.blogspot.com/2007/06/peupe-corporate-blogging-platform.html">subsaharan coder</a>, is behind the latest web app in the Kenyan space - Peipe<br /></span></h4><h4 style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; font-family: georgia; font-weight: normal;"><span class="pipoBlack" style="font-size:85%;">"Peupe is a blog that is specially developed for business leaders and experts. Its features allow the blogger to share information,photos,<br />documents, and much more </span> </h4> <h4 style="margin: 0pt 0pt 12px; font-family: georgia; font-weight: normal;"><span class="pipoBlack" style="font-size:85%;">Communities build brands. Build your community and let them build your brand as they talk,listen and share with you and each other."</span> </h4>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-66944386035085629712007-05-29T23:22:00.000-07:002007-05-29T23:26:01.857-07:00The Next 4 BillionThe Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid<br /><br />Four billion people who live in relative poverty have purchasing power representing a $5 trillion market, according to a report by the IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and World Resources Institute (WRI).<br /><br />The report is the first to measure the size of markets at the base of the economic pyramid using income and expenditure data from household surveys. The analysis is complemented by an overview of business strategies from successful enterprises operating in these markets.<br /><br />Accurate data on market potential provides a foundation for private sector engagement that can drive down what the report calls the “BOP penalty,” where poorer people often encounter goods and services that are more expensive, of low quality, or difficult or impossible to access. The report seeks to help businesses think more creatively about new business models that meet the needs of these underserved markets.<br /><br />The report characterizes the base of the pyramid markets by region, country, and sector. Sector markets for 4 billion consumers range from those that are relatively small, such as water ($20 billion) and information and communication technologies ($51 billion), to medium-scale markets such as health ($158 billion), transportation ($179 billion), housing ($332 billion), and energy ($433 billion), to truly large markets, such as food ($2,895 billion).<br /><a href="http://rru.worldbank.org/documents/features/thenext4billion/TheNext4%20Billion%20Executive_Summary.pdf"><br />Get the summary report here</a>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-72732308347570600112007-05-14T21:57:00.001-07:002007-05-14T22:09:32.944-07:00Back on trackAfter three months of grappling with issues of startup capital and living from the day to day, I am happy to report that we have finaly bagged sufficient startup capital to enable us have a beta product out soon. Over the past two months I have been booking appointments with potential angels in the hope of securing funding. About five of these meetings went realy badly as I believe I was presenting to the wrong crowd of hitherto earth, rain and harvest your produce mentality.<br /><br />Two however went rather well with one agreeing to pump in capital. The other...one Fleetwood...tok rather long to make up their minds and I got sold on the other proposition. So I am currently devoted entirely to this project forthe next six weeks.Angels need to see progress and results. Keep you posted.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1169618335460055452007-01-23T21:55:00.000-08:002007-01-23T21:58:55.476-08:00Am backAfter a short haitus... i am back to the blogsphere.Things have indeed changed. What was meant did not happene, but it sewed the seeds to even greater things.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1165415752261137232006-12-06T06:34:00.000-08:002007-05-14T22:35:54.461-07:00Maintaining the Perfect Size for a Small Agency<p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> What's the perfect size for an agency? This can be a vexing question for small agency owners. We want to be big enough to have national work and yet small enough to know everyone in </span></p><div style="float: left; font-family: arial;"><table align="left" width="110"> <tbody><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 0px 6px 6px; font-size: 88%; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" width="110"> <span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="http://adage.com/images/bin/image/x-small/bloghead_cleveland2.jpg" alt="Bart Cleveland" height="100" width="100" /></span> Bart Cleveland</td></tr></tbody></table> </div><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" > the agency by name. This desire for perfect smallness can tempt us to restrict growth. Many times this results in neglecting new business. However, history shows if an agency isn't growing, it's dying. You can't keep your perfect size by sitting still. Simple attrition can result in a 10-20 percent decrease in billings per year. In this era of advertising, client relationships that last over a few years are unusual. New business is important to balance attrition, but it's also an opportunity to find clients that are best suited to your agency. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" > The reason my agency has longer than average tenure with clients is because we nurture new business. I say nurture because that is a key to having relationships built on trust. Nurturing new business takes more time, but it gives trust a chance to take root. Before the client even hires you they feel connected to you. They know you know their business and their problems and that you will help them overcome their challenges. I won't go into what we do but suffice it to say the proof of you being the best fit for a client happens by being not selling. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" > Imagine your agency working to its potential. Imagine clients seeking your counsel and appreciating your insight. This is what the right client brings to your agency. There are more "perfect" clients than you might believe. Too many times agencies don't nurture, they just sell to whomever is buying and they reap what they sow. We all know what happens when a client is not buying what we're selling. It's miserable for everyone involved. This is another reason we can avoid growth. You become convinced that there is only misery out there and why ask for more heartache? Choose wisely. Walk away from the obviously bad prospect. Don't believe you can fix them or train them to be good clients. Look for something better and you'll find it. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" > Growth will not keep you from being the size you want to be, it can empower you. I've always admired agencies that are willing to walk away from clients that aren't a good fit. It's only possible when they are in control of their business. The effect on one's bottom line must be manageable. Let's face it, if it's inevitable that a relationship is going to end, why not be in control of when it will end? </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" > New business efforts should never be put on the back burner. They should always be a priority so that you remain firmly in control of what your agency is going to accomplish. </span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1165046149933394122006-12-01T23:53:00.000-08:002006-12-01T23:55:49.943-08:00Evaluating Your Company Strategy<span><i>n this excerpt from Mavericks at Work, William C. Taylor & Polly LaBarre outline five key questions entrepreneurs should ask themselves about their company’s strategy.</i><br /><br />Few companies set out to be just another me-too player with another ho-hum business model, following a bland formula that’s hard to distinguish from everyone else’s. But in industry after industry, that’s precisely how most companies end up competing, which is why competition feels so unforgiving.<br /><br />As you think about the values you stand for as an organization and as a leader, ask these five questions about your company’s strategy.<br /></span><h3 id="nointelliTXT"><span>1. Do you have a distinctive and disruptive sense of purpose that sets you apart from your rivals?</span></h3><br /><span>This is what separates the mavericks from their me-too competitors. The founders of DPR Construction were determined, from the moment they started the company, to reckon honestly and openly with the designed-in flaws of their industry and to build an organization that would prosper by fixing those flaws. The founders of Cranium didn’t launch their company because they had one good idea for a single board game. Instead, they had a wide-ranging critique of what was going wrong with family entertainment -- and an unapologetic sense of mission about providing a clear alternative, through board games but also through book publishing, TV shows, and other lines of business that Cranium has begun to enter after its runaway success with games.<br /><br />Even when their company was a tiny start-up, the Cranium founders believed and acted as if they were playing for high stakes -- not just thinking about games, but rethinking how parents could relate to their kids and how families could relate to one another. “We’ve always acted as if we’re a much bigger company than we really are,” says Grand Poo Bah Richard Trait. “We’re still a fairly young player in our industry, but we conduct ourselves as if we are a global movement. This isn’t a job. It’s the pursuit of a dream, to give everyone a chance to shine. It’s a big, ethereal goal, but we won’t stop until we’re convinced that we’re making progress against that goal.” </span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1164006653516784162006-11-19T23:01:00.000-08:002006-11-19T23:10:53.546-08:00Of **ck ups and non deliveryThe last two weeks have been marred by non delivery on certain key projects by persons to whom I have outsourced work to. I read up on how the Digg founder outsourced to develpoers sourced on Elance, and I did the same. The results have been nothing but disappoinitng. My briefs clear to the last detail are being ignored and the developers doing their own thing. This has held back some 2000 $ money that is sorely needed to push other ventures forward.<br /><br />On a local front the same is true.I thnk sometimes it's best to have everyone working on a project within reach. Coz man..this sucks big time.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1162284827552637172006-10-31T00:51:00.000-08:002006-11-01T03:34:23.640-08:00Small ideas<span style="font-size:85%;">Kevin Rose, founder of <a href="http://www.digg.com/" target="_blank">Digg.com</a>, presented at <a href="http://www.carsonworkshops.com/summit/" target="_blank">The Future of Web Apps Summit</a> in San Francisco last month, giving a demo and sharing the story behind Digg's launch.<br /></span> <p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">In 2003, Kevin had a big idea. He came to Elance to post a project and look for a PHP programmer, selected Owen Byrne (Elance username: <a href="http://www.elance.com/c/fp/main/viewprofile.pl?type=seller&view_person=permafrost&catid=10220" target="_blank">permafrost</a>) and worked with him to build the initial product. Eventually, Owen joined Digg full-time.</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="padding: 0px 20px 0px 10px;" src="http://www.elance.com/p/images/corporate/Kevin_Rose2.jpg" align="right" height="121" hspace="0" width="114" /><br /></span> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Today, Digg is one of the most successful and visited websites, Owen Byrne is Digg's Senior Software Engineer, and Kevin is a high flyer recently featured on the cover of <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_33/b3997001.htm" target="_blank">BusinessWeek</a>.</span></p>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1162199763390579442006-10-30T01:04:00.000-08:002006-10-30T01:16:03.420-08:00America's top young entrepreneurs<h2><span style="font-size:85%;">There had been a 40 under 40 show sometime back, but it never really impressed me save for those few stories I acually had the heads up on. Business week had this article on top entreprenuers under 25, and since this is my bracket, I think I want to be challanged ...</span></h2><br /><br /><h2 style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Check out 25 smart new businesses from some of the brightest entrepreneurs in the U.S. aged 25 and under</span></h2> <span style="font-size:85%;"><cite></cite>The success of the entrepreneurs behind Digg, YouTube, and Facebook will undoubtedly inspire a growing breed of the young, energetic, and self-reliant who are more than willing to gamble that their startups will fly. But it's not just about role models. The idea that entrepreneurship is a viable career path is ingrained across the U.S., and the number of resources for startups continues to swell. So when we set out to find the latest batch of fresh faces and examine what makes their businesses tick, it wasn't surprising to see their ages skewing younger and their ideas getting smarter.<br /><br />In August, BusinessWeek.com kicked off its second annual search for the best young entrepreneurs in the U.S. by asking readers to nominate promising entrepreneurs age 25 or under. The results were impressive, with more than 300 people nominating their favorites, which we whittled down to 25 businesses with real potential. Check out this slide show profiling each of them, then cast your vote on the last page.<br /><br />http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/bestunder25/index_01.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_best+entrepreneurs+under+25<br /></span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1162185003526936992006-10-29T20:53:00.000-08:002006-10-29T21:10:03.903-08:00HiccupsI have been immersed in miniscule projetcs to cover the last mile finace on some mini projects in the works. I bumped into <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bluefi5h </span>most unexpectedly at the launch of the Numetro site and ended up havin a lengthy discusion about loads of stuff. I had been sething an foaming at the mouth at his lack of feedback and communication despite his bein connected in all ways possible.<br />Nevertheless, were back to speed.<br /><br />In other ventures, VC number two has also gone awol, with his signature needed to secure the release of some 50million. I have never monitored my mail so closley waiting for the subject "Am back"<br /><br />I have waiting...esp on issues that have been sealed and signed.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160730790103085702006-10-13T02:11:00.000-07:002006-10-13T02:13:10.110-07:00Never Trust a 'Silent' Customer<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > Do you have customers that leave suddenly? You were doing an outstanding job for them, lavishing them with truckloads of service and yet they disappeared without a word. </span> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The key operating factor here is 'without a word.' That's the scary part! The silent ones are always the most dangerous. If you would like to learn how to keep your customers, you've first got to keep them noisy. Read this marketing article to find out just how you can make complaining clients one of your biggest assets.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Imagine you run a pizza parlour. You have all these neighbourhood families that pop in at least once a week for some pizza, garlic bread and Coke. On an average, one customer spends about $30 per week. But let's assume they spend just $20. Imagine you did something that bugged this customer, but he or she never told you about it. What would you stand to lose if they left?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Its simple math: You lose $20 x 50 weeks. That's equivalent to $1000 a year.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you lost just 10 such customers per month, you'd lose about 100 clients a year.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">That's $100,000 that could be in your back pocket if you were a little complaint-conscious.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">That Doesn't Happen in Our Business: The Denial Syndrome</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Overtly it won't. In a Bain & Company survey of major corporations, they found that on average, U.S. Corporations lose half their customers in five years. Notice, it wasn't 'one year' or 'suddenly'. Clients have a tipping point. They get unhappy bit by bit and then its camel-back-breaking time. So, if you think that all your customers are happy with you-they aren't. It's a basic fact of life.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">What's really weird is that you can't measure how much business you're really losing. A study was done on a bank, they found they had as many accounts as they had a year ago. What they failed to measure was how most of the people had 'silently' transferred the money out into other banks and the closure of the account was a last measure, somewhere down the line.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The same thing applies to your customer. Like a patient Buddha, they will seemingly appear to put up with everything, till suddenly you find they don't use you anymore. This is a classic flight of business. You hear nothing of it, till it's almost gone and it takes a mammoth effort just to hold on to the business.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you look at it from another perspective, you might even be getting equal to or slightly less business from your customer. Naturally this doesn't ring any alarm bells. However, if you've been watching carefully, your customer has probably grown bigger and richer in the past few months or years. If your business with them has not grown exponentially, you are actually LOSING OUT.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">No matter how successful your business, you will always have scope for improvement. Best of all, you will always have complaining customers. Don't deny the fact. Accept it and then do something about it.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Real Reason Why You Lose Customers </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Last month we went to KFC to pick up some chicken and chips for dinner. On the way home we discovered that the chicken and the chips were soggy and tasted terrible.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">How would most customers react? It would depend on their history with the product, but most people would grumble and simply not go back. We complained. We picked up the phone and called the toll free line at KFC. They asked us to place our order. We said we didn't want to place an order, we just wanted to complain. They said, "We don't take complaints on this line. You'll have to call the manager at the branch where you bought it and talk to him."</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">Now Why Would I Bother To Go Through All That Trouble?</span><br /><br /> It's easier to never go back. All that money that KFC spends trying to get new customers is going down the drain and out the back door because they don't have a complaint line.</span> </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Most companies act precisely in the same manner. For one, they have no real complaint department. If clients are unhappy, they feel embarrassed to complain and because no route has been cleared to vent their feelings, they avoid it completely.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Then they leave.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Obviously, you can't wait for something to go wrong. Your job is to find ways to get the client to complain. If they complain, you are getting feedback that is extremely valuable and is probably relevant for all your other clients as well. Best of all, empowered with a complaint channel, a well-trained client will complain at every juncture giving you the opportunity to fix the problem and regain their trust.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">How Companies React to Complaints </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Virgin Airlines CEO, Richard Branson, sometimes makes an appearance at the gates when a flight is late, apologising profusely to all passengers as they check out. How mad would you continue to be if you ran into a situation like this?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet most companies detest complaints. Living in their ivory towers, they refuse to believe that any of their clients would leave. So they never ask for feedback. On the rare occasion that clients get mad enough to put it in words, it's too late. Even then, a complaint is treated with nuisance value.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The first step a company takes when dealing with complaints is that they fix it.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yeah, Right!</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Because of their crummy service, the plane took off without you, you missed your meeting and lost more than just your temper. Do you think, just replacing something is going to erase all that trouble? It's going to take much, much more.A simple replacement is never the answer. It has to be a heck lot more than just a numb 'sorry' . You've got to woo the customer back like you would with the girl that you had your eye on. Going down on your knees and begging for forgiveness is a start. Then you've got to lay it on thick and the thicker the better.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Problem With Zero Defect </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Lots of companies ran themselves into the ground trying to achieve zero defect. In an unpredictable world like ours, that goal is unreal. Even the best of intentions aren't much use if you run into a flash flood. Clients recognise that. However, it's up to you to have a disaster recovery plan in place.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">When I say that, I don't mean a grandiose 'in case of a nuclear attack' plan.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">At Nordstrom stores across the U.S., salespeople are empowered to do 'whatever it takes' to fix a problem, even if it means going to the store across the street and buying the product at a higher price. It's called the art of immediate recovery, and it assumes that something will go wrong and you will have a Plan B to fix it. The more you prepare yourself for this inevitable event, the less chance the client has to complain.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">More often than not, a complaining client is complaining about everything but the product. Ever see people complaining about the food at a restaurant? The principal purpose of the restaurant is food, yet people leave because of loud music, bad service and everything else. Your job is to assume you're a restaurant and find out what your 'everything else' is.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Getting Complaints is Like Winning Lotto! </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1) What you need to do to ensure a regular stream of complaints. Dump the feedback form and go out and ask your customer's face to face. Do it regularly and have them know whom they can complain to, if anything goes wrong. There is no such thing as a silent customer.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">2) Complaining customers are always very precise. They eliminate the vagueness of feedback forms. Listen to them, act on their complaints. It's not that they want to leave. They want to be wooed back. Fix the problem and then let them know how you fixed it.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">3) They're giving you free feedback that would cost a fortune at a research company, so reward them. They've been inconvenienced on top of getting a bad product or service. That inconvenience factor deserves payment in the form of a reward over and above just fixing the problem. Customers who are bought back from the brink are extremely loyal and extremely 'noisy.' Treat them like the asset they are.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">4) Remember, it costs <span class="v11it">eight times</span> as much to get a new customer, than it takes to keep an existing one. Keep them at all costs. Atone for your sins.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">5) Rule #1:The complaining customer is always right. Rule #2:When in doubt, refer to Rule #1</span></p> <span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" ><span class="vtitleblack">If you haven't done so</span><br /></span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160730641586677232006-10-13T02:10:00.000-07:002006-10-13T02:10:41.593-07:00How to Commit Brand Suicide<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > A graphic designer spoke to me last week. His graphic design firm -- let's call it XYZ Design -- was <em>numero uno</em> in designing labels for a large wine company. Let's call that ABC Wines. Now ABC wines had some really super wines. They loved the incomparable graphic design of XYZ design, and continued to use them for several of their major brands. This one client alone generated tons of work and income for XYZ design right through the year. </span> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Then It Happened... </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">ABC Wines sold out to another wine company. This new wine company had its own in-house graphic designers. That effectively meant XYZ Design's income and work flow were severely hit, causing them to scramble for new clients to fill the gap. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"If only I had done what you said," said the owner of XYZ Design, " and not line extended into web design and other forms of graphic design and communication, I would have gone down the gurgler too" </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Not true. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Line extension doesn't mean you run just one business or have one product. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">No, it doesn't mean that at all. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Multi-tasking existed long before the advent of computers and the more skills you have, the better off you are in today's world. However, you have to name each 'twin' differently to give it a very distinct identity. When you do that, your client recognises the difference and chooses that 'twin' for its own individual personality and character. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">How Do You Line Extend Without Line Extending</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In the case of XYZ Design, it would have to work in this manner. To all wine companies, they would enter the door as a 'wine label design Specialist.' To every wine company in the country and overseas, they would be known, not as XYZ Design but more so, as XYZ Wine Design Specialists.' </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This would give the wine companies a specialist to deal with. It would help XYZ Wine Design specialists to build their reputation in the wine industry to a point where if any wine company decided to design a label, XYZ Design would be one of the main contenders. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Now, wine companies don't do just labels. They do brochures, leaflets, annual reports, websites and tons of other stuff. Your question would be, how can I afford to lose out on that market? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Why You Never Lose Out On The Rest Of The Stuff </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It's called <em>backdoor entry</em>. Everyone (including your competition) is banging on the front door, trying to get in. You, on the other hand, quietly slip in through the backdoor, pick your goodies and slip out. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is how it works in practice. If you do really good work designing wine labels, it's almost inevitable that clients will ask you if you can design other associated material. That's when you introduce your other company, "JKL Graphic Design" and "PQR Web Design". Same company, different positioning and certainly different brand names. What this does, is it helps clients compartmentalize their thinking. They now think you have specialist groups working on specialist projects taking extra special attention. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">This Does Two Things... </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1) It helps each of your businesses take on a 'character' of its own without affecting the other, much like Air New Zealand is<em> premium</em> and Freedom Air is <em>budget</em>. The public knows they're one company but still compartmentalizes them into two. You can change the character of each company, and help boil it down to the smallest possible niche, making you an expert in the category. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">2) The client sees your multiple brands as different brands. When they need web design services, or when they need to recommend them, they call the web design experts. And so on with graphic design and wine labels or just about anything that you are handling. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Everyone Loves A Specialist </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Would you allow a GP to work on your triple bypass? OR would you prefer a heart specialist? Even better, a doctor who does only triple bypass surgery? If you feel the difference, so does your client and to ignore this basic human instinct is to do so at your own risk. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">How It Works Not Just In Business But In The Workplace Too</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you're working in a job, the same rule applies. Be known as a genius for something. Know how several things work. But branding yourself in one skill makes you the expert. Every time the company has a fire in that section, you will be known for your fire-fighting skills. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">On an ordinary basis, most employees are not known for any particular skill and wonder why they are on top of the redundancy list. Bosses don't know what you do and why you're special, because you haven't been doing the 'branding bit'. It's better to be a specialist than the 'safe unknown.' </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">As Dire Straits sang in one of their songs, "Sitting on the fence is a dangerous course: You could get a bullet from the peace keeping force." </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Funny (But True) Phrases When You Forget To Obey The Rules </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jack of all trades, master of none. A bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush. And the best one of all: Keep it simple, stupid! </span></p> <span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" >Keep putting these principles in action and you will see a marked improvement in your business. </span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160730582427690152006-10-13T02:04:00.000-07:002006-10-13T02:09:42.436-07:00Why Twins Have the Same Surname and Different First Names<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > Parents know it instinctively. To differentiate one from the other, they give their newborn different names. Most businesses beg to differ, and often end up giving the same name to multiple (and widely differing) products, without realising the negative impact on the brand. </span><p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Whether you've got a growing business or a well-established one, it's important not to ignore that important law of physics. Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. This branding article<br /> will show you why!</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Why Brand And Line Extension Don't Work</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Heard of a cheese company called Kraft? You say <em>Kraft</em> and people say <em>cheese</em>. The amazing association of cheese with their name should have kept the company smiling for decades. But that didn't happen. Like most companies, Kraft figured they had a great brand name that would extend to a whole range of foods. So, they went and line extended into jams, jellies and mayonnaise among other food stuff. According to their reasoning, they were still in the food business. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Their Accountants Might Not Agree</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In jams and jellies, the American brand, Smucker's owns 35% share of the market. Kraft has 9%. In mayonnaise, Hellman's owns 42% of the market share. Kraft has 18%. Despite being a major cheese company, Kraft (amazingly) isn't hitting the top of the charts. The only winner it has is called, not Kraft, but a cream cheese called Philadelphia, which has 70% of the market. By trying to be all things to all people, Kraft (like many others) has ended up with a great brand name, but few real winning products. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">What Goes Through The Customer's Mind?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Remember your cousin John, the<em> lazy</em> guy? Or your brother Bruce, the <em>industrious</em> guy? Or Diane, the <em>smart </em>one? If you grew up with a mental image alongside a name, the attributes of that person stick with you for life. One name, one attribute.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Most customers are exactly like you. If you say <em>Honda</em> in Japan, people think of a motorcycle company. If you say <em>Honda</em> in any other country, people think of cars. People don't seem to make the leap at all. Once your product/service has a fixed attribute in their mind, it burns itself in. No matter what you try and do, it cannot be re-invented. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The movie Saturday Night Fever made tons of money. So, what did they do? They took the same formula and called it Grease. Same stuff, different name, but consistent profits. On the other hand, every sequel of most movies has consistently gone downhill. Sure, <em>Rocky</em> went the distance, but you have to question whether it fed Sylvester Stallone’s bankroll or his ego. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">How Successful Companies Power Their Brands Forward</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Know of Barbie and Ken? Your grandmother does and so will your kids. Barbie and Ken have never changed what they stand for. They've outlasted the Ninja Turtles, the Cabbage Patch dolls and every other toy in sight. And will continue to do so in the years to come. That's because Barbie and Ken stand for dolls with interchangeable clothes. Nothing more, nothing less.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">That’s exactly what successful businesses do. They occupy a niche and they defend it. Look at publishing companies. They bring out a magazine, they call it<em> Men's Health</em>. Then they bring out another magazine and another one and yet another one. And every magazine is given a different name. Go to a newsstand down the street and have a look at the magazines. No magazine is all things to all people. Each one has a specific positioning, name and target audience. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Problem With New Brand Names</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It's expensive to launch a new brand. That's why most head honchos in companies take the <em>safe</em></span> route to extend their line. Besides, it's not like line extension doesn't work. It works fantastically well. Then it sputters, chokes and dies slowly. This is because when brands are first extended, people are eager to try out new products. However, they soon tire of it and go back to the brand that defines clearly what they're after. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">How Creating A New Brand Can Help You Focus</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Take a look at New Zealand today. There are two airlines from the same parent company. One is called Air New Zealand and the other is called Freedom Air. Air New Zealand stands for top class airline service, with all the frills. Freedom Air is zero frills. All the tactics and the strategies can be worked out independently as they function (and exist) as two different companies. If Air New Zealand started an airline called Air New Zealand Budget, it would have watered the whole brand giving both airlines no identity of their own. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Less Is More</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">A niche can make you more money than being a generalist . Resist the urge to be sailor, soldier and candle-stick maker to everyone. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jack of all trades, master of none.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Surely, you've heard that. Now believe it and implement it.</span></p>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160730158772192472006-10-13T02:02:00.000-07:002006-10-13T02:02:38.783-07:00Like a Virgin-- Is Your Marketing As Fresh As Madonna's?<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" ><br /> 'Touched for the very first time'</span> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Call it what you want, but few pop stars and fewer businesses have understood the intricacies of Madonna's genius of reinvention and the inevitable end of the business cycle. Learn from the branding expert. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">While Madonna soars, everyone else seems to stumble, bumble and disappear down a deep, dark hole.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">So, what is it about Madonna Incorporated that has allowed it to consistently reap profits for over 18 years on the trot? And is there something we in business can learn about branding from the chameleon of pop music?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">What Madonna Learned from Houdini</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Gasp! That's what the audience would do, every time Harry Houdini cheated apparent death. Except that <em>death</em> was a deliberate stroke of genius to keep the name of Houdini alive forever.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Madonna seems to have used the same bag of tricks. Reinventing herself in almost clockwork fashion, she has transmogrified herself successfully into virgin, material girl, boy toy, dominatrix, media maven to working mom. And made big bucks all the way.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Out with the Cabbage, In with the Tomatoes!<br /></span> </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Bring out the fertiliser, Madonna's here!</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">With green-fingered precision and lots of tender loving care, she plays along with Mother Nature. In every phase, Madonna has realised that things change with the season and accordingly dug deep to replant new shoots.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Summer plants die. Shrivel, shrivel, it's a fact of life. You can whine and whimper but if you understand the basis on which Mother Nature works, you can pretty much put it to work in your own business.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Most businesses experience growth both intellectually and physically, yet every business seems to run on summer growth. Never changing, never evolving, they hope Jack Frost will give them a wide berth when the cold days roll along. That doesn't always happen and when the business peters down, it's <em>let's blame the economy </em>time, when all they've done is failed to plan for the end of a business cycle.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Take for instance a big law firm in Auckland, New Zealand. Lots had changed within the firm. It had grown considerably over the years and believed that its outdated logo was the hallmark of the firm.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Simple research showed otherwise. The clients hated it. Fuddy-duddy, they called it. Yet, it had nothing to do with the law firm. The partners and the lawyers were as competent as ever, if not more than before. A simple logo change, some internal and external fix-its and Voila, they could do little wrong!</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It had nothing to do with the firm or the quality of its lawyers. They had simply failed to track public opinion that had gone against them. Once they realised it, they could mend it. Once they fixed the logo (among other things), they were reborn.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Replant the Garden, Don't Chop the Trees!</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Are we suggesting you reinvent the wheel? Madonna doesn't think so. Like a hardcore brand specialist, Madonna has actually stuck to her brand like glue.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you look carefully, she stands for RADICALISM. Everything she's done has taken her one step higher on that scale. Every time someone screamed blue murder, Madonna was in the thick of it. She hacked the lawn, and replanted all the flowers choosing shocking pinks and bright orange, understanding all the time that it stayed in line with her true brand image.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Coke, too, tried to reinvent itself, but failed miserably. Why? Because Coke owns the word <em>classic</em>. People loved their Coke. It was owned by us sugar-water drinkers and no one, not even Coca Cola Inc., was going to change it. In short, that's why they failed.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet Coke has reinvented itself in several other ways. Its packaging has gone from sexy bottle to cans and then to 2 litre PET bottles without much drama.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It has reinvented convenience, much like McDonalds reinvented their <em>snack</em> to <em>combo lunch.</em><em>combo</em> managed to put gigantic smiles on both faces simultaneously. Realising that customers were after a better deal and their accountants were after better profits, the </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Let's face it. It's not just about reinvention. It's about realising WHICH PART of your business needs to be reinvented and then having the common sense to leave the rest alone.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Don't Reinvent the Goodyear!</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Chinese gooseberries were going nowhere till they were renamed Kiwi fruit. With this re-baptism of sorts, this humble, nondescript looking fruit somehow took on the flavour of an exotic, lush green country. The reinvention wasn't earth-shaking; the results were.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Madonna does just that. While her radicalism has seen an outward change in every avatar, the core change isn't overly dramatic or complex. Every reinvention has caused her to add bold yet simple colour to her garden.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Too many marketing people change twenty things all at once. Confused customers don't care. Gradual progression they can handle and want. Dramatic change scares the heck out of them, often causing them to switch brands suddenly and permanently.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Even hardcore Madonna fans found the leap from music to movies too complex. She flipped and flopped her way through the popcorn aisles and came out triumphant on the <em>Evita</em> side. Yet, you'd prefer Julia Roberts to do the drama bit instead of doing a Grammy number, wouldn't you?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Simple snip-snaps you and I understand. Which is why even Einstein kept it down to E=mc2 despite reinventing everything science stood for.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Can You Carry it Off?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Hey, Frank Sinatra was a great singer, but he just didn't have Madonna's figure and he'd look crappy as a blonde. Which is pretty much the crux of the issue. If you don't have the ability to carry it off, you don't. Not at least in the glare of the spotlight.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Madonna's outward reinvention is her most dramatic feature, but at the same time she's plugging away at her new spiritualism and lifestyle and hopefully it reflects in the lyrics as well.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sting is a good example of a parallel Madonna run backwards.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Starting out like Billy Idol, he has wound his rock roots down dramatically and enriched his music to encompass several genres and languages. It's a quiet manicured reinvention, that his fans lap up in eager anticipation</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sometimes the reinvention is loud and sometimes its soft but it's never non-existent. Pop stars are good examples because it can often take one album to make or break them. You can serve twenty shoddy meals at your restaurant and still get away with it, but they can't. Even the stars that appeared to exude stillness like Frank Sinatra, were actually living very close to their brand image and their <em>noun</em> and <em>adjective.</em></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Frank was a Coke-- He stood for classic. Likewise, that's what his music had to do. Elvis was a white singer singing black music and that's radical. Which is why his gyrations on stage fit in perfectly with his <em>uh-huh</em> style. On the other hand, you could only take so much of Boy George. Know why?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">At the end of the day, the calories are the proof of the pudding. If you don't stand and deliver, you can reinvent to death without any change in your bottom line whatsoever.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">How Does your Garden Grow?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">For your business, there are several avenues that you need to magnify and reinvent. The main areas that you need to look at are:</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">1) Your Communication:</span> Logos, Newsletters, Emails, etc. Do they really meet your clients' needs? Have you got so busy doing things that you've forgotten to reflect your true worth to your clients?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">2) Your Customer Loyalty:</span> Are you stretching these parameters? Are they getting less or more loyal? If yes, why? If no, why not? What do you need to reinvent and re-analyse? And do you have a customer loyalty program at all?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">3) Your Failure Analysis:</span> This is a biggie. If you're not analysing and welcoming failure, you're going to be stuck on your island for so long, that you'll sink once global warming gets worse. If you want to double your success rate, you've got to double your failure.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">The Key to Reinvention is Simple<br /> </span>a)You've got to die a thousand deaths and come out on the other side. b)Simplicity is the key.<br /> c)Your brand image is money in the bank. Don't ever change it.<br /> d)Wear the mini only if you can carry it off. Remember there's a market for minis and gowns simultaneously.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">While you're reading, Madonna will be hard at work on the next step. Isn't it time you got to work too?</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > </span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160729854651669522006-10-13T01:56:00.000-07:002006-10-13T01:57:34.666-07:00Is Nature a Marketing Guru?<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > Technology rules. Yeah, for about five minutes--then natural instincts take over. Are you stupid enough to fight Mamma Nature? Well go ahead and rewrite the rules if you can, cause the Big Mamma knows one thing. She’s tried and tested it all. And if you want to play by her kooky rules, she is willing to teach you a thing or two. </span> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The question is, are you willing to learn? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">Do You Pay in Advance?</span><br /> Have you noticed how big a brand Red Bull is today? Or how insignificant their advertising is? Red Bull shuns print advertising and has never done a triple back flip on a web campaign. Yet, it has found roots in over 50 countries. And has cemented its loyalty in the fickle land of teenagers. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">So what’s Red Bull’s big secret? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s called GIVING.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Their marketing strategy was simple. They enticed students with free cases of Red Bull, if they threw a party. Guess how many students need an excuse to have a party? With a simple act of giving away free cases to the right target audience in the right universities, Red Bull became a very <em>rich</em> Red Bull. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">Yet Where Are Most Marketing Plans Aimed?</span><br /> Too often marketing is aimed solely at GETTING. Look at all those marketing plans, those many advertisements blaring away on the radio and TV. It’s get, get -- all the time! </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet, nature pooh poohs the stuff. Putting a carrot (not cart) before the horse, nature works on the giving part first. In its own little marketing and advertising way, a flower works contrary to most marketers. Using the bait of colour and nectar, it draws the bees, knowing full well that its very existence depends on giving bees what they want first, so the bees will carry their pollen.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Wander down the supermarket aisle and you’ll see what I mean. Fifty thousand brands stare at you, screaming at you to buy them. Then a little ol’ lady offers you a sample of a product. Fifteen seconds into your tasting session, she gives you another sample. Then, for no apparent reason, a bottle or two of the product finds itself in your cart. Were you sold? You betcha! </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Giving works for a simple reason. Nature hates imbalance. If the deer get faster, so do the cheetahs. It’s a classic system to keep things in balance. Which effectively means that to create an <em>imbalance </em>in marketing in your favor, you’ve got to give first. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">Are You Ready To Do the 1-2-3 and Cha-Cha-Cha?</span><br /> Do you play the dating game? Or do you rush in to conquer most of the time? Mamma Nature knows that haste makes waste. Yet marketers think nothing of blowing squillions of dollars on various hare-brained, get-rich-quick schemes that achieve far less than their potential. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Here's an example. Harley Davidson has been to hog hell and back. Just in time to save its bacon, it decided to work on the cha-cha-cha instead of the wham, bam method. The reward has manifested itself in thousands of die-hard Harley fans that would go all the way on their Harleys. Even today, despite being in an enviable position, Harley still finds time to wine and dine its customers while thumbing its nose at traditional media. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Another good example of cha-cha-cha marketing is how the British operated in the 19th century. Instead of slamming their way into conquering new lands, they went as traders. Whether history likes it or not, they maximized their potential in a systematic and natural marketing manner. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">What Happens When Nature Goofs Up</span><br /> Even nature loses out when it fails to obey its own rules. As long as it sticks to its spring, summer, autumn, winter routine, we go along with the "relationship." Yet every time it does the 60-second prime time TV spot on us, we absolutely hate it. Oh sure, there’s great colour, drama and pizzazz in a whirling tornado, but there’s zero empathy and a whole lot of defiance. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Turn on the music, move those feet. This isn’t some behemoth CRM program we’re talking about. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but flowers arouse less suspicion. Do the cha-cha-cha and the getting to know your customer. It’s cheaper, it follows steps, and it works. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">Is Your Target Audience "Everyone?"</span><br /> Nature would laugh at you and laugh heartily. Are you setting yourself up for disaster or what? Even a pimple-ridden 13 year old knows exactly who her knight in shining armor is. While the concept of being in the company of 20 gorgeous men would set her eyes alight, her brain knows better. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet most businesses horrify the heck out of Nature. In an apparent suicidal move, they go after a general audience in order to maximize their returns. Some of the biggest brands today are built on single-minded focus. Mercedes, Volvo, Rolex, McDonalds, Red Bull and Playboy all have a clearly defined target audience. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you doubt it, take a look at a wild dog attack on a National Geographic broadcast. Have you noticed the focus and strategy of their attack? They single out the prey and go after it in a pre-defined relay system. It gets results, and isn’t that what you want? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">Gotta Keep on Dancing</span><br /> When was the last time your heart stopped beating? And isn’t that good, because if it did, you’d be taking harp lessons in a big hurry. Nature doesn’t stop its marketing campaign and neither should you. The first thing businesses do when the economy takes a downturn is pull the plug on marketing. Fat good that’s going to do you! That’s like telling your heart to work at half the heart beats when things aren’t good. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The planet doesn’t stop rotating, the trees don’t stop growing and the fish don’t stop swimming. Yet in an absolute violation of the most basic law of nature, we stop and start like some trainee driver. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">There Ain’t No One Like Me!</span><br /> Nature doesn’t brand-extend. It creates something and then it throws away the mould. When it creates a product, it makes sure that product thrives, grows and multiplies. It adds colour, shape and size for a bountiful variety, but brand extension is a no-no. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet look at some of the biggies out there. They put out their brands and then put their names on everything from computers to soap. Dove still stands for soap with 1/4th moisturising cream. Yet, in the supermarket, Dove tries to take on the full force of nature by brand-extending. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Does it work? Yes and no. People have too much clutter in their heads already. To add to that clutter is asking for trouble. Our brains identify with one object when we are given a name. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">From Nokia to Chimpanzee</span><br /> When I say <em>Nokia</em>, you say <em>mobile phone</em>. Yet Nokia sold everything from gumboots to computers -- even TV sets. Then one day it dawned on them that they could conquer the world with a brand name that stood for one thing and one thing alone. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sure a chimpanzee and a baboon are both monkeys, but they’re essentially different <em>products</em>. You won’t find a <em>chimpanzee light</em> or a <em>chimpanzee diet</em> in the species. They’re either chimps or they’re baboons! Besides, their unique brand name allows you to identify them with zero confusion every time! Uniqueness is your brand’s birthright. Use it well. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Here are some "Au Naturel" guidelines to business and marketing strategy:</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">1) Pay in Advance:</span> First you shall sow, and then you shall reap. And you must sow in fertile ground not on rocky soil. Give, and you shall receive. Does this all sound familiar? Are you giving away anything worthwhile on your website, through your advertising, in your brochures? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">2) Do the dance one step at a time:</span> You’ll just make a fool of yourself if you don’t build up your reputation with your customers. Give them the best you possibly can. When nature puts on a beautiful butterfly, it starts with a worm. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">3) Put on the glasses:</span> Get focus in your life because Nature will make sure you pay big time if you don’t. Sure you can get business, but think of what’s possible if you focus. A little focus right now reaps long-term rewards. It’s your choice. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">4) She’s only happy when she’s dancing:</span> Is that a Bryan Adams song? Or is Nature telling us what we should be doing? She’s on the floor. Go on and boogie. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">5) And then there was one:</span> Is your fingerprint different? Is your iris different? Do you have a clone? Nature doesn’t think it works in real life. Why do you think differently? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="v12bM">6) And finally:</span> Take off your headphones and look at what nature is saying. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s showing you the colour of money! </span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > </span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160728526923872062006-10-13T01:34:00.000-07:002006-10-13T01:35:26.940-07:00The power of why<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > Here's why ‘WHY’ is such a profit-making marketing trigger.</span> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“Stop taking two and three plates of food,” my mother said to me angrily.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I was at a wedding and seven years old. Back then, at a lot of the weddings we used to go to, the food would be pre-served on a plate. I could never get enough of those calorie-ridden platters. Waylaying different waiters, (so I would not be recognised), I’d polish 3-4 plates without blinking an eye.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Mum wasn’t impressed, and told me to stop and desist. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“Why?” I’d ask. Her stock reply was always, “It’s bad manners to do that.” This Dustbin Hoffman (yes, I do mean Dustbin and not Dustin) act obviously got her goat, but it left me unfazed. It must have bugged her more than I expected though, because in a short while Dad was peering down at my food-stuffed face. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">My question remained unchanged. “WHY?” </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“If you invite a hundred people to a wedding, how many would you cater for?” he asked. “A hundred,” I answered, proud of my analytical genius. “If you ate four plates,” he continued, “how many would remain?” He prompted quickly, “Ninety-six right?” I nodded vigorously. “That means some people don’t eat. If you’re so hungry, we can go out after the wedding and get something to eat, but don’t deprive others.”</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dad Made Sense. Do You?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dad understood psychology. He had to sell my brain an idea that my rumbling stomach didn’t want to understand. And he did it by answering the question, 'WHY?' How many of us ignore this powerful trigger in our marketing because it seems too obvious, almost too simple?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Why 'Why?' Puts Elvis’ Shaking and Moving to Shame</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Let’s examine the six honest men. What, How, When, Where, Who and Why. Which one of these is the most powerful psychological movers of them all? This would be better answered with an example.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Let’s assume you needed to go to the supermarket. All the other triggers (how, when, where, who and what) would make absolutely no difference if you didn’t know ‘WHY’ you were headed there. Everything else would be totally irrelevant. Once you know WHY you’re doing something, everything else is just a matter of logistics.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Why Does 90% of Advertising and Marketing Communication Go Down the Drain?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Simple. Look for the <em>WHY </em>in advertising and scarcity pops up instantly. All the fancy layouts and the smart headlines can’t quite compensate for the niggling question that goes unanswered. All your customers want to know is, Why should I choose you? Why should I take this decision? Why should I spend this money? Why should I look at your website? Why should I read your brochure?’ Why should I listen to your speech? ‘Why? Why? Why?’</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dump the cotton woolly fluff. Get your customer’s brain to go scrambling like an over-enthusiastic pup after a Frisbee. Once you have enough WHY factor built into what you’re selling, everything else is just clip, clop, fall in place stuff.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Be an Accountant, Do an Audit</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Look at your communication. Like reeeeeeeaaaaally look at it! What about your website? Does it answer the question WHY straight up? And does it do it on the first page? How about your brochure? Does its headline make it a cinch for dustbin land? What about your speech? Do you have enough beds to compensate for your lack of WHY?</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I could go on, but I suspect you get the message. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Be merciless. If the WHYs don’t stack up, dump the communication. Or chop and change it till it does.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Finding the Right Level of Why Power</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you noticed, Mum actually answered my WHY question. She just didn’t answer it to my satisfaction like Dad did. Herein lies a subtle, yet formidable difference.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s not enough to simply have the WHY question answered. It’s got to be the most ‘Rambo in your face’ answer, or it will bounce higher than a defaulting cheque. Let your WHYs loose on each other, and let only the one with the most testosterone come out shining. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM"><span style="font-size:85%;">Aristotle -- Man, Was he Smart or What? </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">All communication must lead to change. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">That’s what the old wise man said over 2300 years ago. Not some or most communication. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">All. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yet we are dealing with customers that inherently detest change. WHY is the only motivator that allows them to make that shift. <em>Change</em> is still a scary word, but at least the justification sits nicely in their cranium. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In fact, if you look closely, even a WHAT question like, What’s in it for me?, is really a "WHY" issue. All it is saying is ‘Why should I pay attention?’ Give your customers the WHY factor and their buying sprees will reflect nicely in your growing bank account.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is simple, down to earth advice. Yet it represents one of the most powerful psychological triggers why people buy. WHY on earth would you ignore it?</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" > </span>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160717835091264842006-10-12T22:33:00.000-07:002006-10-12T22:37:15.106-07:00Can you convert your marketing into a religion?<p style="font-family: georgia;">Religion breeds fanatics. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">We've all seen that. And if it works for a bunch of crazies, why not make the same marketing strategies work for your product or service? Can you possibly adapt a system that has worked flawlessly for thousands of years to your business? Do you want to have customers chanting your name endlessly? </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Suuuuuurrrrre you do! Read on and I'll show you how it works!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM">Why Grandpa's Restaurant Died!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Grandpa's restaurant was his pride and joy. The food was yum! The service was basic, but quick. And the prices pretty much ensured a happy little paunch over time. Yet amazingly, the customers dwindled and the restaurant slowly rode away into the sunset.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">I was in shock. That was my goodbye to free meals forever. You may not think much of it, but I was twelve, and in that traumatic instant every single free meal of my impending teenage years flashed before my eyes.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">So what did Grandpa do wrong? He had a whole cohort of hungry disciples, yet he never did anything with them.. Here are a few marketing strategies he could have taken that would have ensured my rumbling tummy rumbled no more! </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM">Magical, Magical Data!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Every day, millions of people walk in and out of restaurants. Yet most restaurants know not where they come from, or where they go, or when they will be back. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Wake up and smell the coffee you've been selling! </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">When they eat at your place, they become existing customers. And fifteen seconds after their delicious dessert, they become DORMANT! How the heck are you going to get them back, if you don't know anything about them? The only way to do that is to collect data, much like this website does. When you know your customers a bit better, you can talk to them personally, and cater to their individual needs. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM">Can I Have Your Name While You Finish Your Beef Vindaloo?</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Yes, you figured it out. You can't do that. And the time between their eating and walking out, is so fleeting that you may as well not try. So what do you do? You count on a basic human factor -- <em>greed</em>.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">All of us are greedy and getting something for nothing is what we'd stake our steak on.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Imagine this scenario: You walk up to a more than satisfied customer right after the meal. Instead of the usual moronic, "How was your meal?", why not ask, "Was the food good enough to come back again?" Now that's a specific question. If they say<em> yes</em>, you give them a little form, informing them that their next meal is a whole 15% off. Would they like to fill in a form with their email address and postal address so that we can send them a voucher?</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Aha! In one second, your database is off the mark, and you can pretty much bet that the yummiest of those seven deadly sins will kick in to get that customer back! Better still, you've got their permission to start a relationship. Yippee Doo!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM">How to Get Your Data Simmering</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Once you have their information on file, how do you use it? The worst thing you can do is tell your foodies about how good you are. Tell them what they want to hear!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">They are food lovers, remember? How can you entice them? Can you reach out and give them something special? Could you throw in a frequent-eater deal? Reach into their greedy stomach and something snaps in their brain, causing them to eat eight times a year, just to make 'eat points'. With every trip, they get to know the restaurant system better. They order stuff they like. They feel happier. People know them. They find a favorite table and God help anyone who crosses their path. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">They have now reached the level of fanaticism. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM">How to Turn the Fanaticism Into a Religion</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">The only way to start a religion is to get disciples. Digging into your database, invite your best fanatics for a special <em>thank you</em> meal. Suddenly, you've got an advertising campaign for the price of a leg of lamb with mint pesto and baby carrots. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">They are the disciples. Their burps spread the word. You sit back and rake in the moolah. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Besides, by networking like-minded people together, you're increasing their chances to do business with each other. The richer they get, the busier they become, and the more they want a place that knows and caters to their needs. The friends they bring along reflect their own wealth and status, thus sending the whole system in an unending loop of upgraded customers spreading the good news in double quick time. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="v12bM">Getting the Kinks Out of The System</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">If good news is a jumbo jet, bad news is a Concorde. However, regular customers get comfortable with you and don't mind complaining. They nit pick with the loving tenderness of mom and make sure you stay in line. You couldn't pay for this feedback if you tried.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">So, try!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">If a regular customer complains, make sure she gets <em>rewarded</em> for complaining. It's like rewarding a puppy for good behaviour and what you really need is a steady stream of complaints to fix your systems constantly. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Grandpa never heard the complaints. The customers simply didn't show up again. And his business walked out with them never to return.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Grandpa made his share of mistakes but there's no reason why<em> you</em> can't learn from them. The same marketing principles apply whether you're in the food business or selling coffee mugs. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><br /> <strong>These are the strategic steps:</strong></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="v12bM">1) Throw in The Bait:</span> Entice them with something to part with the data. If at first it doesn't work, keep trying till you find something that does. Then, repeat it with every customer.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="v12bM">2) Use the Data Creatively:</span> Think GREED. How can you make your customers want to keep coming back? You've got to appeal to base instincts.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="v12bM">3) Form a Club:</span> Well-organised disciples are better than random fanatics. If one club gets too big, form another,and then another, till you have a whole series of people who swear by you, and for you.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="v12bM">4) Don't Be Shy:</span> Make them also swear against you. Get feedback. Encourage it. Pay for it. Just do it!</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Which brings me back to me. Why did I choose a restaurant as an example when I could have chosen any other product or service? The prime reason is simply because restaurants involve impulse decisions, and patrons are very fickle. Proving it works in this field proves it can work in almost any other. </p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">But there's a selfish motive, too. I'm hoping some restaurateurs out there will be so pleased with this information, they'll offer <em>me</em> free meals forever! That way, I can catch up on the teenage years.</p> <p style="font-family: georgia;">Finally!</p>creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1160112086222504802006-10-05T22:18:00.000-07:002006-10-05T22:21:26.233-07:00Of easy money ...The buzz word has been on new opportunities for making loads of cash...call them multilevel marketing, ponzi's or pyramid schemes....Kenya has been hit and hit hard!creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1159427250740674172006-09-28T00:04:00.000-07:002006-09-28T00:07:31.266-07:00dotMobi.mobi is the first – and only – top level domain dedicated to users who access the Internet through their mobile phones. With four mobile phones purchased for every one personal computer, there’s a world of people whose main access point to the<br />Internet is a mobile phone. And every one of those users can trust that a web site is compatible with their mobile phone if that site's address ends in .mobi.<br /><br />In an increasingly mobile society, businesses, organisations and individuals need to reach and interact with their customers via the mobile web. A .mobi address allows them to bypass the constraints of geography, operators and handsets to effectively reach their audience.<br />For content providers, it opens a new and more profitable revenue stream, without having to rely on operator portals.<br /><br />Conversely, for operators, .mobi allows increased use of profitable data services while ensuring a good user experience and,therefore, customer loyalty. And that's because dotMobi ensures a predictable, consistent experience on a mobile phone by<br />encouraging site owners to use dotMobi Switch On!™ Guides, based on Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) open standards.<br /><br />In short, .mobi will revolutionise the use of the Internet on mobile devices … but why now and why with .mobi?<br />Because dotMobi, the company behind the .mobi domain, is backed by the most prominent mobile and Internet players in the world – the same companies who have delivered the promise of today's information society: Ericsson, GSM Association,Google, Hutchison, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, Telefónica Móviles, TIM (Telecom<br />Italia), T-Mobile and Vodafone.<br /><br />Interestingly, we might also just get a dotXXX too.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1158929777622204202006-09-22T05:52:00.000-07:002006-09-22T06:03:28.730-07:00Stress - my wayThree hours of sleep per night<br />Misearble diets<br />Pathetic weather<br />Big headed midlevel managers<br />Clueless sales staff<br />Non commital business partners<br />Bouncing cheques<br /><br />Its been one of those weeks.creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15472517.post-1158929068042752902006-09-22T05:22:00.000-07:002006-09-22T05:44:28.073-07:00Definations of a CEOIt's intersting the number of existing views as to what the term CEO means. To the kawaida mwananchi (read as layman), the appearance of the same on your business card means nothing whatsoever. This I experienced last week when I went to lay to rest my aunt in the "Milima Mitatu" region of Turi in the Riftvalley. After the ceremony, everyone converged at our homestead (feels like am reading from a history book..homestead???). It was time to make lunch, but as it evidenty seemed, we would have rather called it supper.<br /><br />Coupla hours pass and I in my CEO mind enquire on the status of the lunch project, only to be informed that the timelines and indeed the project deliverables had been changed. Certain aspects of HR were not in place...mama so and so from across the hill had not arrived with some ingredients...tools at HR disosal were wanting (read firwood jikos)...there seemed to be no pressure to achieve results (or at least no one looked hungry). Anyway...i enaged my uncle in some chit chat and he asked me if i would stay the night, to which I replied an affirmative NO. I went on to tell him of how many projects were pending back in the city, and they needed to be sorted by weeks end (this week), and also how i thought things were moving slowly. The long and short of it is that he asked for my contacts back in the city as he gathered from the grapevine that I had since moved. I whipped out a card which he looked at and said CEO...kweli...lakini huko mambo haiendi hivi.Nipolepole.<br /><br />Enough said...creativemindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087795856403160271noreply@blogger.com0