What ads this holiday season do you find memorable and effective?
See the top 10 from Ad Age...
The 10 Most Effective Holiday Ads: Focus on Philanthropy Works for Walmart
http://adage.com/article/news/10-effective-holiday-ads/245757/?utm_source=daily_email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=adage&ttl=1388013874
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Lost and Found: Why Journey Mapping Is Critical to Your Business
just re-posting this interesting article by David Clark of SDL. I have conducted many journey maps throughout my career and can't say enough about the value they offer if done well. A few excerpts...
...In theory, an effective journey map highlights the actual flow of the customer experience—from initial awareness of a need to fulfillment of that need. They force a business to look at all of the components of the experience, not just the ones that are well understood, currently surveyed, or well funded for innovation/process improvement.
...Journey Maps are “about the process, not the picture,” and that “different customers go through different journeys. So the most effective CJMs [customer journey maps] look at the paths of individual customer segments. Sometimes there are even different CJMs for individual customers in a single segment
...Each customer will take a different journey—just like snowflakes, no two are alike. The key is to create an optimal set of potential experiences for them, whichever path they take.
...The best journey maps are always created based on ethnographic research, contextual interviews, and, increasingly, analysis of social data.
...Properly executed and measured, your journey map and associated customer feedback will highlight the barriers and the enablers in the journey. Each of these will likely correspond to a part of your organization.
... journey maps are at their best when used to map all customer interactions across the journey to develop an understanding of common pain points and challenges across all the moments of truth in different experiences and across different customer personas
...different customers place a higher value on different experiences
The full article is at
http://www.dmnews.com/lost-and-found-why-journey-mapping-is-critical-to-your-business/printarticle/323279/
...In theory, an effective journey map highlights the actual flow of the customer experience—from initial awareness of a need to fulfillment of that need. They force a business to look at all of the components of the experience, not just the ones that are well understood, currently surveyed, or well funded for innovation/process improvement.
...Journey Maps are “about the process, not the picture,” and that “different customers go through different journeys. So the most effective CJMs [customer journey maps] look at the paths of individual customer segments. Sometimes there are even different CJMs for individual customers in a single segment
...Each customer will take a different journey—just like snowflakes, no two are alike. The key is to create an optimal set of potential experiences for them, whichever path they take.
...The best journey maps are always created based on ethnographic research, contextual interviews, and, increasingly, analysis of social data.
...Properly executed and measured, your journey map and associated customer feedback will highlight the barriers and the enablers in the journey. Each of these will likely correspond to a part of your organization.
... journey maps are at their best when used to map all customer interactions across the journey to develop an understanding of common pain points and challenges across all the moments of truth in different experiences and across different customer personas
...different customers place a higher value on different experiences
The full article is at
http://www.dmnews.com/lost-and-found-why-journey-mapping-is-critical-to-your-business/printarticle/323279/
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Marketing, Customer Experience, and Revenue
Walt Disney once said, “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”
Disney's wise words encapsulate the power and value of customer experience (CX). Read more at
http://www.dmnews.com/marketing-customer-experience-and-revenue/article/313878/
http://www.dmnews.com/marketing-customer-experience-and-revenue/article/313878/
Thursday, May 9, 2013
When do company apologies make sense?
My wife recently received a "apology" email from the President of G.H. Bass & Co. (see below)letting her know how they had "lost their way over the past few years" which was a surprise to her.
Lately, a handful of companies have taken an "apology" approach to their marketing strategy and branding (ie. JCPenney just released a new ad featuring an apology to customers for recent changes and a promise to start listening more; Domino's campaign a couple years back stating how their pizza had been terrible all these years). I'm sure declining business results have led these companies to finally realize serious fundamental and operational issues at play. I think the solution, in addition to actually fixing the key problems (remember Oldsmobile?), doesn't always have to require that they apologize and point out all their past deficiencies to your customers (unless of course they also plan to give them something tangible, like refunds for "not listening to their needs").
In many of these business situations, I think these brands are making matters worse by focusing their attention and perhaps building greater awareness of these so-called transgressions by communicating them with their customers (and non-customers) as part of an overall strategy to introduce some bold new strategies. I know that I would want my money back for all the pizzas I bought over the past ten years after now realizing I had been duped.
I am not saying that companies should hide serious customer issues or be deceitful in any way. But it depends on the situation. Certainly, there are companies that should be required to apologize, like BP, and at a bare minimum, ask for the public's forgiveness, share what significant actions they will take to make things right again (and prevent from happening again) in order to re-store customer trust.
Thoughts?
From: G.H. Bass & Co.
To:
Sent: Wed, May 8, 2013 4:15:52 PM
Subject: G.H. Bass & Co - A Letter From the President.
Lately, a handful of companies have taken an "apology" approach to their marketing strategy and branding (ie. JCPenney just released a new ad featuring an apology to customers for recent changes and a promise to start listening more; Domino's campaign a couple years back stating how their pizza had been terrible all these years). I'm sure declining business results have led these companies to finally realize serious fundamental and operational issues at play. I think the solution, in addition to actually fixing the key problems (remember Oldsmobile?), doesn't always have to require that they apologize and point out all their past deficiencies to your customers (unless of course they also plan to give them something tangible, like refunds for "not listening to their needs").
In many of these business situations, I think these brands are making matters worse by focusing their attention and perhaps building greater awareness of these so-called transgressions by communicating them with their customers (and non-customers) as part of an overall strategy to introduce some bold new strategies. I know that I would want my money back for all the pizzas I bought over the past ten years after now realizing I had been duped.
I am not saying that companies should hide serious customer issues or be deceitful in any way. But it depends on the situation. Certainly, there are companies that should be required to apologize, like BP, and at a bare minimum, ask for the public's forgiveness, share what significant actions they will take to make things right again (and prevent from happening again) in order to re-store customer trust.
Thoughts?
From: G.H. Bass & Co.
To:
Sent: Wed, May 8, 2013 4:15:52 PM
Subject: G.H. Bass & Co - A Letter From the President.
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
3 Missed Opportunities in Customer Loyalty
Sharing this good article on customer loyalty...
Customer loyalty is an incredibly lucrative opportunity for brands, yet marketers still struggle to maximize their relationships with existing customers even though recent research from Forrester shows that 93% of companies have placed customer experience on their list of strategic priorities, with 28% claiming it as their top priority.
Clearly brands understand the value of each customer, yet there is a disconnect between knowing what customers need and want and the ability to actually deliver in a way that creates an experience that builds long-term loyalty. Recent advances such as runtime modeling, location-based services and the increased use of smartphones as shopping devices have greatly improved marketer’s capabilities to deliver exceptional customer experiences by anticipating customers’ needs in near real time.
Lasting loyalty is built on three basic strategies: acquisition, retention and engagement. Here are three commonly missed opportunities and how brands can best address the needs of an increasingly mobile and connected customer to foster loyal and lucrative relationships.
Read more...
http://www.chiefmarketer.com/promotional-marketing/3-missed-opportunities-in-customer-loyalty-17042013
Customer loyalty is an incredibly lucrative opportunity for brands, yet marketers still struggle to maximize their relationships with existing customers even though recent research from Forrester shows that 93% of companies have placed customer experience on their list of strategic priorities, with 28% claiming it as their top priority.
Clearly brands understand the value of each customer, yet there is a disconnect between knowing what customers need and want and the ability to actually deliver in a way that creates an experience that builds long-term loyalty. Recent advances such as runtime modeling, location-based services and the increased use of smartphones as shopping devices have greatly improved marketer’s capabilities to deliver exceptional customer experiences by anticipating customers’ needs in near real time.
Lasting loyalty is built on three basic strategies: acquisition, retention and engagement. Here are three commonly missed opportunities and how brands can best address the needs of an increasingly mobile and connected customer to foster loyal and lucrative relationships.
Read more...
http://www.chiefmarketer.com/promotional-marketing/3-missed-opportunities-in-customer-loyalty-17042013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
MEASURING LOYALTY BEYOND SIMPLY SPEND
Here's a good paper on how brands are benefitting from the power of advanced multi-channel loyalty software which allows them to extend their loyalty programs beyond simply measuring their customers’ spend but also by capturing all the ways a particular customer impacts a brand
MEASURING LOYALTY BEYOND SIMPLY SPEND
MEASURING LOYALTY BEYOND SIMPLY SPEND
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Monday, November 19, 2012
Panera Customer Appreciation. Good Tasting
I wanted to share an example of a great loyalty program member experience…
A couple weeks back, my wife, a member of the Panera loyalty club, received an email invitation for a “special tasting” at a nearby location on November 17th afternoon. She registered in advance, and we both went. When we arrived, they had a special room set-up with a person greeting us and taking down our name to confirm us. It was pretty crowded and everyone seemed to be having a good time. They positioned it as customer appreciation. All in all, it was a very simple, yet nicely done member experience. My wife is not a real frequent visitor, nor high value, nor an infrequent or lapsed visitor as well…just visits periodically. I was not able to determine how might have been specifically targeted, but it was probably to increase her periodic visits/spend or to drive more store traffic to this location.
Do any of you have any loyalty program member experiences worth sharing?
A couple weeks back, my wife, a member of the Panera loyalty club, received an email invitation for a “special tasting” at a nearby location on November 17th afternoon. She registered in advance, and we both went. When we arrived, they had a special room set-up with a person greeting us and taking down our name to confirm us. It was pretty crowded and everyone seemed to be having a good time. They positioned it as customer appreciation. All in all, it was a very simple, yet nicely done member experience. My wife is not a real frequent visitor, nor high value, nor an infrequent or lapsed visitor as well…just visits periodically. I was not able to determine how might have been specifically targeted, but it was probably to increase her periodic visits/spend or to drive more store traffic to this location.
Do any of you have any loyalty program member experiences worth sharing?
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Lettuce Experience
Hello All-
It's been a very long time since my last post. Hope everyone is having a nice summer.
I wanted to share two examples of recent customer experiences...
Lettuce Entertain You
About a month ago, we received a postcard for a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant Frankie’s Scaloppine at 900 N. Michigan Ave. downtown for $25 off a meal, good through 6/27. I think they were targeting people in the suburbs to come into the city and dine at one of their restaurants. During the day on Saturday, June 23rd, we thought it would be nice to head into the city and go there again for dinner. My wife Karen called the restaurant about 3pm to make a reservation. They simply replied that “they stopped taking reservations for the evening, but walk-ins were welcome.” So, we decided to make a night of it. We arrived about 7:45pm. The host informed us that they had a private party on the inside and were not taking anymore people. We asked about the “outside” area (not really outside) of the restaurant, which was still serving many patrons. There were at least 5 open tables right in front of us. The host then went on to say that the private party would be spilling out soon and he could not give us a table.
If the person on the phone in the afternoon told us this, it would not have been a big deal, and we just would not have come into the city. However, in sharing this with the host, he honestly couldn’t care less. His only response was that the person on the phone probably thought we lived in the neighborhood. My wife and myself were really incredulous over his lack of empathy or interest in the situation. My wife even asked him, “you really don’t care, do you…you would just prefer we walk away.” He really didn’t say much, so we did just walk away feeling really angry. We know how much emphasis founder Rich Melman places on customer service, so we were really shocked. We drove close to an hour into the city on a Saturday night, parked, for nothing? After walking around afterwards trying to figure out how to salvage the evening, we ended up at other Lettuce Entertain You restaurant Mity Nice Grill. We had an excellent dinner and great service. Afterwards, we even complimented the manager on both.
With the help of a friend who had contacts with lettuce Entertain You, I was able to get my story to a company executive. A few hours later, I was contacted by the Managing Partner of Frankie's, who offered his sincerest apologies. He then said he would send us somethiing for our trouble, hoping we would give them another chance. Later that week, we received four $25 gift cards in the mail along with a nice personal letter, again, offering us their apologies.
I was impressed how they dealt with this situation and made a real sincere effort to win me back. We will be making our reservations soon!
Apple
This past Sunday, I visited our local Apple store because my iPod stopped working the day before when I was out for a run. As usual, the store was buzzing with activity. I had forgotten to make an appointment, but when I showed up, there was a cancellation so I only had to wait 10 minutes for my apointment. When my turn was up, the store consultant looked over my iPod for a few minutes, then took it away to further investigate for a few minutes. When he returned, he said my iPod had gotten a little moisture in it (sweat), which caused it to shut down and stop functioning. He then handed me a new iPod with no questions asked. I was very impressed by the ease and resolution of my experience. They certainly have my loyalty!
Do any of you have any good or bad experiences to share??
It's been a very long time since my last post. Hope everyone is having a nice summer.
I wanted to share two examples of recent customer experiences...
Lettuce Entertain You
About a month ago, we received a postcard for a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant Frankie’s Scaloppine at 900 N. Michigan Ave. downtown for $25 off a meal, good through 6/27. I think they were targeting people in the suburbs to come into the city and dine at one of their restaurants. During the day on Saturday, June 23rd, we thought it would be nice to head into the city and go there again for dinner. My wife Karen called the restaurant about 3pm to make a reservation. They simply replied that “they stopped taking reservations for the evening, but walk-ins were welcome.” So, we decided to make a night of it. We arrived about 7:45pm. The host informed us that they had a private party on the inside and were not taking anymore people. We asked about the “outside” area (not really outside) of the restaurant, which was still serving many patrons. There were at least 5 open tables right in front of us. The host then went on to say that the private party would be spilling out soon and he could not give us a table.
If the person on the phone in the afternoon told us this, it would not have been a big deal, and we just would not have come into the city. However, in sharing this with the host, he honestly couldn’t care less. His only response was that the person on the phone probably thought we lived in the neighborhood. My wife and myself were really incredulous over his lack of empathy or interest in the situation. My wife even asked him, “you really don’t care, do you…you would just prefer we walk away.” He really didn’t say much, so we did just walk away feeling really angry. We know how much emphasis founder Rich Melman places on customer service, so we were really shocked. We drove close to an hour into the city on a Saturday night, parked, for nothing? After walking around afterwards trying to figure out how to salvage the evening, we ended up at other Lettuce Entertain You restaurant Mity Nice Grill. We had an excellent dinner and great service. Afterwards, we even complimented the manager on both.
With the help of a friend who had contacts with lettuce Entertain You, I was able to get my story to a company executive. A few hours later, I was contacted by the Managing Partner of Frankie's, who offered his sincerest apologies. He then said he would send us somethiing for our trouble, hoping we would give them another chance. Later that week, we received four $25 gift cards in the mail along with a nice personal letter, again, offering us their apologies.
I was impressed how they dealt with this situation and made a real sincere effort to win me back. We will be making our reservations soon!
Apple
This past Sunday, I visited our local Apple store because my iPod stopped working the day before when I was out for a run. As usual, the store was buzzing with activity. I had forgotten to make an appointment, but when I showed up, there was a cancellation so I only had to wait 10 minutes for my apointment. When my turn was up, the store consultant looked over my iPod for a few minutes, then took it away to further investigate for a few minutes. When he returned, he said my iPod had gotten a little moisture in it (sweat), which caused it to shut down and stop functioning. He then handed me a new iPod with no questions asked. I was very impressed by the ease and resolution of my experience. They certainly have my loyalty!
Do any of you have any good or bad experiences to share??
Monday, December 26, 2011
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