New Friends, Same Old Rules

When we were young, we learned some simple social skills. Be nice to others. Share your toys. Give more than you receive. Many people — now as grown business professionals — think they need to observe some magical “new rules” as the media landscape transforms from marketer-managed monologues to consumer-controlled conversations. But really, while social media may be a new vehicle for communicating, the skills we learned growing up still apply.

1. Remember personal details. We call our friends and acquaintances by their names, even nicknames. We try to remember their birthday, their kids’ names, that they like football. People like when you speak to them by name and remember something about them. So when a consumer reaches out to you, gather some basic information (name, where they live, how they connect with your brand) and work that back into the conversation when you respond.

2. Be an active listener. You know you need to listen to what your friends are saying. But are you really, actively listening? Active listening — repeating key words and phrases when you respond — shows that you’re listening and more importantly, understanding them. Online you have extra ears at your disposal — social media monitoring devices to help you listen. Review these reports to understand the vocabulary consumers use regarding your brand.

3. Shoot for quality over quantity. We can’t be friends with everybody. Neither can your brand. The difference between focusing on quality versus quantity friends is this: they listen better, they give better feedback and they know you. It’s a better, more meaningful conversation. If you have more interactions with a smaller fan base that’s interested and involved with your brand, that’s better. And more interaction produces brand advocates and friends that ultimately are on your side. They’ll be the most passionate advocates for your brand.

Ok, so brands aren’t people, but the social advice I’ve gotten over the years echoes in my ears as we struggle to figure out a more social media landscape. Focusing less on surface-level engagement and the number of friends (fans, followers) we have and more on the interactions we have with those friends will in the end earn us the relationships we seek.

Got Creativity Block? Take a Walk.

Ideas can be fueled, encouraged and directed – but they can’t be forced. Why is it that we can beat our heads against our keyboards for hours and then go to the balcony, take a shower, walk the dog or even take a nap and have our brains unlock the ideas that we’ve been trying to find?

Feeling uninspired, I left my desk and walked around the block. Yep, there it was right around the corner: my idea. Why is it that breaking away from a creative task can generate fresh thinking?

Well, it turns out that for nearly 100 years since Graham Wallas formulated his theory, “incubation” has been identified as a stage of idea development. Wallas’ four stages of creative thinking are:

1. Preparation: Ahhh, there’s no getting around doing the homework. This is the research phase – the phase where we gather knowledge about the problem to solve.

2. Incubation: Percolation. Contemplation. Call it what you will, just but don’t call it procrastination. This is the phase where we allow our subconscious mind to chew on the problem.

3. Illumination. The light bulb flashes on over our head (often accompanied by an “aha!”) – that moment when a possible solution to the problem pops into our skull.

4. Verification: Testing and mulling over the potential solution. Caution: this may require another walk around the block.

Now, there’s even new scientific research out there that substantiates the power of incubation.

Frank Lloyd Wright once said that “space is the breath of art.” Well, it seems that space from the problem is the breath of ideas. And if you want great thinking, you have to put incubation in your timeline.

When $25 Doesn’t Deserve $5

There’s a coffee shop I frequent that has wonderful customer service. People smile, say thanks like they mean it, ask if you’ve been here before or want to try something new. If cars line up at the drive-thru, a staff member will come out and take my order in person to expedite the process. Now, I live in Wisconsin so taking orders outside is not always fun–imagine sleet, hail and wind chills of -30 degrees (albeit it feels like 100 degrees today, but that’s not fun either). If there are two of us in the car, our bill usually comes to $8 or $9. If you tip 20% on $9, that’s $1.80.

Now for the inverse. Recently I was out with a friend. We stopped at a bar to have a drink. The wait person was surly, it was hard to grab her attention and she spilled a little of my drink when it arrived. Getting her to bring our bill took Herculean effort and the charge was $25 (one overpriced martini/person). A 20% tip on this equals $5.

This got me thinking – why in the world are we still tipping based on the cost of the items we order versus the quality of service we receive? I can order an expensive item that requires one trip to my table, or I can order an inexpensive item that requires one trip to my table (think caviar vs. nachos). I can get equally dreadful service or equally great service in both cases, but our societal norms say tip big for the caviar.

Never overlook the noticeability and impact of great service. It can even overcome less than idyllic products. Great service gets you more than just a big tip – it builds brand loyalty, it gains you word of mouth, it gets the attention of customers and employees.

Let’s start a revolution. Let’s tip big for a great smile, a sincere greeting, a frequent check-in to see if we’re okay. Let’s forget whether we’re paying $3 or $35, and let the caliber of the service, not the price on the menu, drive our tipping. Please join me in this campaign to honor the right thing, to give kudos to those who take pride in their jobs, to laud the worthy.

Can I hear a “Heck Yeah?!”

A simple reminder to keep it simple

There's no mistaking the intent of this message.

Recently, while on vacation, I was reminded of the power of keeping your message simple. It’s an easy principal to lose sight of in a time where just about anything is possible.

Oregon Chai: A brand with a soul

What happens when a new, luscious, warm and cozy brand arrives on the scene?

1. Success!

2. Imitators

This is the story of Oregon Chai. Oregon Chai was an idea brought to the states by a woman after an adventure in the Himalayas. She so enjoyed the sweet, spicy rich flavor, she created a brand to share it with others. Over time, Oregon Chai grew and competition followed.

Enter Hiebing. We looked at the history of Oregon Chai, we talked to consumers who love Oregon Chai, we listened to stories about drinking Oregon Chai. It became clear that in today’s world of frenzy, cellphones, chaos, cellphones, errands, cellphones, that people were using Oregon Chai to give themselves time to breathe. Oregon Chai allows people to resume their sense of self, to rally or relax for whatever may come.

So, go forth and turn that into the brand’s Soul Purpose, dear marketing partner Hiebing. And thus we did (don’t you love Olde English phrasing randomly dispersed?). We hemmed, we hawed, we came to consensus around “Me Time” as the perfect representation of a brand that’s got personality, a brand that’s got spunk, a brand that cares–the Oregon Chai brand.

Sharing the Me Time experience with consumers became a major focus, with a sampling/coupon promotion that drove immense trial and one of the highest enewsletter opt-in rates we’ve seen. Then it was on to the website in all its glory. Now visitors can spend time browsing the “Insider’s Guide to Me Time” and find new reason to Chai. Read more about the Oregon Chai Integrated Story.

By reading this, I hope you’ve found Chai-spiration to find yourself a little Me Time. Regardless, that’s what I’m off to do, since I now keep it on my to-do list.

Keeping up with your consumer

Your consumer is changing. And with all of the external factors influencing consumers (the economy, the environment, job insecurity, food safety, etc.) the pace of change has accelerated. Are you keeping up?

As you plan for 2011, ask yourself if your brand could be impacted by consumer skepticism and lack of trust in “big business.” Ask yourself how your brand is adapting to changing consumer consumption habits. Are you willing to let consumers take some ownership over your brand? In our culture of immediate gratification, is your brand doing all it can to give consumers what they want instantaneously?

If you’re struggling with any of these issues or just want a better understanding of trends impacting consumer attitudes and behaviors, we encourage you to read our latest white paper, Seven Consumer Trends to Ignore if You Want to Be Ignored. We think you’ll find it to be thought provoking and valuable as you plan for 2011 and beyond.

Zhu Zhu Pets epic battle

Do you remember Zhu Zhu Pets, the cute little toy hamsters that were all the rage last Christmas?

Well apparently cute doesn’t cut it anymore. Coming soon to toy stores everywhere are Zhu Zhu Ninjas and Zhu Zhu Special Forces, both available in battle armor. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the Kung Zhu Ninja Warrior Samurai Scorpion Vehicle!  “Cute” is gearing up for battle.

It seems as though Cepia LLC (the makers of Zhu Zhu Pets) is gearing up for battle, too. The battle so many marketers face when trying to keep their brand relevant and their target consumer engaged. It strikes me as a risky move for Zhu Zhu Pets.

In 2009, the brand seemed to be about lifelike pets that were cute and interactive. They would coo and purr and explore their habitat. While these new products are still interactive, the armor covers up cute and “lifelike” is a stretch. Cepia LLC is not walking away from their original line of hamsters, tunnels and hamster wheels. It seems they are trying to expand what their brand stands for. Hopefully they have a clear definition and a clear goal in mind.

Only time will tell if they will be successful (my six-year old son thought the Zhu Zhu Ninjas looked “awesome”) or if over time the brand will send out so many mixed messages, it will end up standing for nothing.

Where oh where did my product go?

Do you know what a side by side is? Or maybe a roll-out tray? Or how about a filler pull out? No? They aren’t sleeper cars on trains or the newest nanotechnology; they are places where consumers keep their purchases (aka the kitchen). As marketers, we get so focused on moving product off the store shelves (and rightfully so) that we often forget about moving product off the consumers’ shelves.

Keep in mind that consumers, cooks, cleaners and food-eaters don’t want to work too hard or look too hard. If your product is hidden, it may very well be forgotten.

Here’s a quick fly-through a typical kitchen or two. It aptly demonstrates the challenges darn kitchens have created for brands–and makes it clear that there’s a need for next generation thinking about package structure and package graphics.

Here’s a “roll out tray.” Packaging on the lid makes more sense now, doesn’t it?

“Oh Hon, can you grab the…never mind.”

While no one likes cleaning, this is ridiculous!

And here’s the dreaded fridge/freezer side-by-side. Are you sure your product isn’t hidden in there?

Wow, the pull out freeze doesn’t fare much better

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Well, you get the point. The next time you take a fresh look at your product, consider its other home–the consumer’s home–from whence all usage stems. It might spark some fantastic new ways of thinking about storage!

Who are you? A fun exercise in self-exploration

• Which of these are you most likely to say when getting a little lost while driving?
  • “This looks right”
  • “This feels right”
  • “Oh, let’s just look it up”
  • “We never should have taken this trip”

• You’re late for dinner with close friends. Upon your arrival, do you…
  • Make a comedic scene about your chronic tardiness or your scuffle with a warthog
  • Try to fly in under the radar and whisper apologies
  • Buy a round of drinks to make up for it

• In the past year, which have you done more of?
  • Introduced people to each other
  • Been introduced to other people
  • Forgotten everyone’s names

• Which of these statements best describes you?
  • I live to win
  • Better to lose and play the game than not play at all
  • Meh, I tried
  • Win, lose, I’m there for the beer

• What’s your role in your family?
  • Consummate clown
  • Do-gooder
  • Task master
  • The one who forgets to show up
  • Money loaner
  • Needer of money, advice and a haircut

• Do you believe a rainy day is….
  • Bound to flood the basement
  • Something that teaches us to enjoy the sun
  • Inevitable on your day off
  • A perfect reason to enjoy a book and some coffee

So now that you’ve completed our little quiz, please spend a minute thinking about who you are and how you exist in the world. Maybe you’re the thinker who has an easy time admitting mistakes. Or possibly the social networker with a strong sense of optimism. Or even the team player who grew up helping the family.

Whatever you are, understand how it impacts your perceptions of the world, communication and other people. Wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same?

Wanted: a target market

It’s not always clear who is being targeted for a product or service. Without a clear target, I’m left feeling puzzled.

For those of you who live in Chicago, San Fran, NYC or Washington DC, there is a free online service available called parkzing.com. If you sign up for this service, it sends you an email when you get a parking ticket. Hmmm. I find myself wondering who is the intended target market for this service? At the top of the web page it says “Never pay another late fee again!” Okay, so I can tell they are appealing to people who have paid late fees in the past. (Sorry to say, I’m one of them.) Beyond that the target is more than a little murky. What do you think…do you think they’re targeting:

• Stressed-out speeders who don’t notice the parking ticket and drive away so fast the ticket blows out from under the windshield wiper?
• Disorganized paper-pushers who are destined to lose the ticket the second it hits their kitchen counter, but who would never lose track of an email amidst the dozens (or hundreds) they get each day?
• Kind-hearted car-lenders who will let anyone use their car and want to know if “anyone” got a ticket?

I also can’t help but get a bit cynical. Who really is offering this service? What’s in it for them? (Yes, they hope you will pay them $5 to pay the ticket for you, but really, if you’ll try to avoid late fees, you’ll probably try to avoid any fees.) And most importantly, if I rely on them, will they really follow through?

Having a clear target market and attempting to make a meaningful connection with that target market would have provided answers to a lot of my questions. Connecting with a target can even build the foundation for the trust that is needed here.  Without that target and that connection, this was just a service that made me a little curious.