Category: a slice of STRATEGY

I joyfully read a WSJ article about Le Canard Enchaine, a French weekly satirical + scoops newspaper (think The Onion, but with some real breaking news) that knows their audience, is confident in who they are – and is breaking the rules of media publishing today. How?

They refuse to go online. And they refuse to accept ad revenue.

If you go to their site, according to the article (as I don’t read French) it says  “Our job is to inform and entertain our readers with paper and ink….See you Wednesday at the Newsstand!”

You gotta love a rebel.

The paper sells a ton and makes a good profit – and does not rely on one ounce of advertising (can you imagine an ad-free paper? Bliss.)  It’s owned by the journalists themselves and doesn’t do any marketing. So why the hell, in this age of boosktores closing and online media exploding, does their model work?

• Clear purpose: They want to offer news that people want to savor and read, not skim on their iPads. “Why should we give away great content for free?” is their motto.
• Real customer insight: By taking a stand, they appeal to their off-mainstream following simply by refusing to conform. Their mix of real information, combined with satirical and punny humor, is exactly what these folks want that a mainstream paper can’t offer.
• Scarcity is a badge of honor: They make their content more precious by making it harder to come by for free. They maintain a cult following and create value simply by creating a product that requires effort to obtain, unlike their competition.
• Independence equals access: Former Le Monde journalists tried to start a rival paper and website that runs on subscription and is the most serious threat. But Le Canard’s independent (and humorous) perspective is what keeps it fresh and enables it to have access to more sources and info.

By breaking the rules, they stand apart and appeal further to their non-conformist audience. This works because of their brand image and may not work for every player.

And PS, you can place your print subscription order through Amazon.

What rules can you break to stand out from the crowd while appealing to your target audience at the same time?

If you have not had the pleasure of catching “Commercial Kings” on IFC with Rhett and Link, you absolutely need to sit down and watch a few episodes. You know those cheesy local TV ads that stick in your brain like glue? Well, these former ad guys are on a mission to create memorable TV spots for local small businesses to help them succeed.

I’ve often said to clients and audiences that if you want to learn how to really create strong benefit-driven messaging, complete with use-case  scenarios, then study some infomercials. Breaking messaging down to it’s raw form, these cheesy ads will show you the nuts and bolts of what it means to talk about customer benefits, not just features.

Commercial Kings is sweet, fun, fast-paced – and full of valuable marketing and messaging nuggets you can apply to your own business. While it’s not this easy to create a strong brand/messaging this quickly for many companies, and you can argue that the brand aesthetics (the visual) still can come across cheap and cheesy, I would argue that in many cases, awareness and memorability are a bigger priority for these businesses serve. Which means they are right on target to the people they wish to target.

Here’s what you can glean from their technique:

• Start with goals: Every episode starts with why the business needs the ad. What are they trying to acomplish? Do they need more customers? Do they need to change perceptions? The guys always start from here and ensure they have the end in mind. In one show, they had to help an african-american hair salon convince other ethnicities that it could work with all kinds of hair. So they found a group of different ethnic women and asked them to be “test models” for the commercial.
• Ask for customer feedback: The guys will often poll people on the street or talk to the businesses customers about the current perception of the product or service. In one episode, they spoke to a taxidermist’s customer about why he keeps coming back. The customer stated that “his work is the most lifelike he’s ever seen.” They wove this differentiator of realism into the ad concept, showing people getting “stuffed” animals confused for the live animal in various comical situations. Take a look at the finished piece.
• Make it memorable: At the end of the day, many of these businesses just need to get their name out there and make it stick. The guys will often place some sort of hook or “WTF?!” element into each episode. For Presidential Car Wash, they created an utterly silly commercial that you can’t forget. Take a look and tell me I’m wrong!
• It’s about the customer. not the owner: The spots will always feature the smal biz owner to be authentic and real. But often the guys will make the owners step outside of their own personal comfort zone to ensure that the content appeals to the customer.

The guys often ask the key brand questions: what are the benefits to the customer, how is your business different, and what do customers keep coming back for (or in some cases, what keeps them away). This helps them craft a benefit-driven message that is more than just “Come visit us or give us a call” which is what many local commercials end up being. You have to give people a reason to buy and tell them what’s in it for them.

Photo credit: LA Times blog.

Have you seen Commercial Kings? If so, what is one of your favorite episodes? Please share in the Comments!

Last week, I gave you the scoop on five steps to avoid if you don’t want to turn loyal customers into a band of  torch-and-pitchfork bearing villagers. I’d say that we can all agree that is something to be avoided, no?

Part 2 is all about a magical experience we had in Spain, what this place did that gets us talking, and some key takeaways to implement for your own customers.

Avid foodies (albeit amateur compared to some folks I know), loyal watchers of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and not afraid to slap down some serious coin for culinary experiences of a lifetime every now and then, my husband and I were on a mission to eat at Arzak. Nestled near San Sebastian, Spain, Chef Juan Mari Arzak’s culinary journey into whimsy, deliciousness and the finer points of Basque cooking has earned him three Michelin stars. In fact this little city boasts not one, not two but THREE Michelin-starred eateries. You can’t say this guy has no competition.

I had to reserve months in advance. And even then only got 2:30 pm for a late lunch.

I could go on…and on… about the five course pre fixe menu we ate our way through that included tuna, lobster, lamb- and even pigeon. I could tell you about the five interesting amuse bouche we had, including the yellow crispy rice with mushroom “posicle sticks.” I could tell you the Lobster Coralline with tapioca salad and citrus was an amazing explosion of buttery-citrus on my tongue. I could tell you the lamb with aromatic verbena and chard was criminally moist and melted in your nouth, cooked just to medium rare perfection. I could entertain you with the whimsical desert of a blackberry and raspberry “tree” or the “playing marbles with chocolate.” And I could tell you the house 2004 Rioja was simply a divine elixir that complemented the huge variety of food we had perfectly.

OK, yeah, the food rocked. Surely that helps with word of mouth, no?

As I tried to show you in the last post, quality is not everything. Here are five things Arzak did that added just the right touch of personalization, customer care and brand goodness. How might you execute these in your business?

1. The Right Intentional Ambience and Decor: When the taxi dropped us off, I was confused. This internationally famous restaurant should be high atop a mountain overlooking the Bay of Biscay, I thought. Instead, we seemed to be in front of a little village cottage. And then, I got it. Walking in was like walking into someone’s home. And the the small amount of dining tables between the first and second floors (like a house) literally felt like they’d been set up in someone’s dining room or parlor at home. Juan Mari, who runs the restaurant with his daughter, Elena, is all about the experience of home cooking – with gastronomic flair. The brand experience begins with the physical space you are in.

2. Flexibility: The Matre’d was essentially our waiter. In his stylish suit, he was less a “sales guy” and more a tour guide. He strolled us through the menu, didn’t make us feel silly or foolish if we had questions on the menu items, and offered us the option of ordering a bunch of half orders to complete our pre-fixe menu so we could try lots of different items. For Arzak, customization is on the menu every day.

3. Standing by Their Product: Our maitre’d told us if we didn’t like anything we had ordered – anything – we could send it back and replace it with something else. He told us this several times. In a restaurant that could have been intimidting, snobby and cold with all of it’s accolades and honors, it was always about our satisfaction, not their ego.

4. Flawless Process: Everything from walking in, to getting seated, to ordering, to food delivery was a well-orchestrated dance. Everyone knew their role. Not once did we need to look around for water, or a new napkin, or the next course. It just kind of “happened.” The best service is service a customer doesn’t even think about. When things go right, it’s harder to get credit for this, as you can make it look so easy. But it sure beats how much people notice when things go wrong.

5. Delightful Surprises: World-reknowned chef Juan Mari came out and visited each and every table and chatted with us briefly (luckily I speak Spanish) and so did his daughter, Elena. She was delighted to find out we’re from Seattle, as the family’s good friend runs a delish Spanish restaurant here in town, Harvest Vine. Personal, warm, friendly. Right in line with the brand. In addition, I can tell you exactly every course we ordered. Because at the end, before our bill came, the maitre’d presented us with two printed and dated  menus of our custom order, including the wine we had. And, when our maitre’d asked if we needed a taxi, he called for one and then ESCORTED US TO THE FRONT DOOR when it arrived. We didn’t ask for this. We didn’t expect it. But that’s what made these touches all the more delightlful.

This place managed to do high-end dining with a warm, personal and approachable flair. Not sure how they do it all, but it explains why they book up months in advance. While we can’t afford to be “regulars” of this fine establishment, unfortunately, you can bet we’ll be talking about this dining experience – like those who visited before us – for years to come.

What would you give for loyalty and word of mouth like this? What can you implement for your customers right now in the categories above? Please share in the Comments!

Just back from a trip to Europe. Ah, so many juicy brand nuggets to share over the next few posts! I got to witness how a careless business turned a raving fan into a staunch enemy right over dinner. Heed these lessons, friends, to avoid alienating your best customers as well…

My husband  used to live in Oxford, England and has dreams about Aziz, a local curry house. His Quixotic quest to find a great curry house here in the States has resulted in exactly one place, in NYC. We live in Seattle, so this causes some problems. There are many good curry places here, but in his opinion, they oversalt and the flavors don’t blend quite the way they do at spots in the UK.

So with a group of friends in hand, we journeyed to Aziz, where we’ve been on previous trips. This place seems to get raving awards and reviews for its food, but among the circle, the poor service at this restaurant is widely known and joked about, but the food is very good, so they overlook it for the odd visit. However, after this trip, the restaurant lost icon status in my husband’s eyes – and the local group decided there were other great curry houses around where they could get treated better so this might be the last visit.

Why?  Here are five ways this restaurant killed their fans’ loyalty:

1. Disrespect – Making us wait…and wait…and wait: We waited almost 20 minutes as waiters whizzed by our table, before anyone came. And even then, he only would take bar drink orders. We then waited forever and a day for the food to come. for refills and even the bill. What this says is, “You and your time are not valuable to us. We don’t need you.”
2. Inflexibility – Letting process dictate customer satisfaction: We were dying for some water by the time the guy came around to take our cocktail orders. When asked, he said no, he could not bring us water. Another person would be around for that. And that person didn’t come until 10 minutes after that.
3. Anti-Ease of Use – Making it hard to pay: We had to ask for the bill three times – once to a manager/owner – before someone finally brought it to us. Did they not want our money?
4. Disrespect Deux – Surly service: No human interaction, no eye contact, no “you’re welcome” to our “thank you’s.” We were made to feel like we were a bother to something more important they could be doing.
5. Putting Product Above Experience – A bad experience trumps quality – every time: Notice, I have not once talked about how delicious the food was, once it got to us. The experience was so bad, it trumped anything to do with the food. No customer should ever be forced to apologize to his friends, as my husband did, for recommending a place with great food. But that’s exactly what happened. He vowed never to go back again.

All of these problems are easily fixed, and yet this restaurant chooses to treat customers like dirt.  Bad service can show up in all the things that  you DON’T do for customers, just as much as doing something wrong.  Small businesses with a good quality product can easily value customers, empower employees to make customers happy or create a wonderful experience without adding any extra costs to their bottom line.

What one simple thing can you put in place today to ensure your customers feel appreciated, adored and important? Would it be teaching your employees to greet all customers a certain way? Would it be ensuring all emails are responded to in an hour? Please share in the Comments!

You harlot.

There you are, out there spending money on marketing, getting your name out there.  But you’re just a tease.

You’re flirting with everyone, but they’re not all ones you want to date. Worse, they might not even want to go on a date with you. Do you enjoy being rejected in such massive quantity?!

This is what happens when you don’t have your ideal customer persona articulated clearly. I talked about this in my last video. When you say you sell to “women” you don’t really sell to every woman out there: just the ones that can afford your services and who have kids. When you tease that you are the perfect solution for “senior citizens”, you lie. Your product is only meant for those who lack mobility. And when you toy with the notion of being able to solve “all of my legal needs” you really just mean estate and probate.

Businesses spend way too much money on marketing tactics that fill their sales pipelines with the wrong people from the get-go, so that when it comes time to winnow them down to paying customers, you’re left with slim pickings. As I describe in my book, there’s a funnel called the Sales (or Buying) Cycle:

AWARENESS>>EDUCATION>>CONSIDERATION/EVALUATION>>PURCHASE

In order to ultimately buy from you, they must first know you exist, understand what you do, and compare you against the alternative. It’s like dating, really.

It’s a funnel: You pour “raw leads” into the top and out filter a few precious sales at the end. Hopefully enough to hit your revenue targets.

Problem is, I see too many small (and to tell the truth, midsized) companies fill the funnel with the wrong stuff. Garbage in, Garbage (or nothing) out. Man, that’s a lot of wasted effort.

“But I have 3,000 Twitter followers!” (“Are any of them buying from you?”)

“But there will be 5,000 people at that trade show!” (“Does the majority need what you have?”)

So, in an attempt to clear things up, here’s another way to look at these phases, from the wonderful world of dating:

Awareness: Only make eye contact with the most viable prospects in the bar. Employed. Well-dressed. Not living with their parents.

Attraction: Wink at just a few. Not worth winking at the ones already with a date, right? RIGHT?

Conversion: One or two walk over to buy you a drink (or let you buy them one)

See the point? You might make eye contact with less people, but more of them will likely convert on the other side. That’s how to spend your money wisely. Stop worrying about quantity and paying for leads or exposure that will never turn into a paying customer. Focus on talking to a smaller, more quality-focused group first. You’ll have less of them entering the funnel – but a better conversion rate. And your conversion percentage will be a lot leaner, meaner and more efficient as a result.

‘You only generated 150 leads?” (“Yes, but 40% of them converted to sales. Boo-yah.”)

Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to be a tease?

What do you do to control quality in your marketing, so you attract the right potential customer or clients? Share via @redslice!