Courtesy of our heroes at Café Creative KFT
Archives for Brand Promise
Love Is The Drug
I like pens, and I have a plethora of them.
This didn’t just start yesterday.
I covet them, and “save” my favorites. I probably have pens that are older than your children. I have pens with different colored inks, ballpoint, sharpie pens, click pens and pens with caps. I have a pen that looks like a log, and another with sparkly liquid and a blue boa feather on top. (a lovely gift from my niece.)
In recent weeks I have become enamored with my Uniball Gel IMPACT pen with the blue ink. It glides across the paper effortlessly. Its thick enough not to make a hole in the paper or huge indentation when I get excited and push too hard. Let’s face it: what I’m writing about can be very exciting sometimes - if only to me.
Today I realized my pen was out of ink. [scary music queued here. the sound of a woman screaming.]
It took me a while to “get that”. I kept going back and “trying to find my cheese in the same place”. I tried to continue to use it. I shook it. I unscrewed to top and added a couple of drops of water to the ink. I replaced the top and shook it again with renewed vigor and hope. I looked at it curiously. I looked at my creative partner. She didn’t look back. It was a kind of desperate, silent communication. Usually she responds to that. Had a broken pen ruined our level of unspoken communication? I think you can see what kind of strange of madness was happening here.
I was bewildered.
I looked through my vast collection of other pens (read: less important). No Uniball Gel IMPACT pen. I went to my savior, the Utility Cabinet. No Uniball Gel IMPACT pen. I went back to my desk and looked in every drawer. No Uniball Gel IMPACT pen. (I did find those dog bone paper clips I like so much..)
But, there was no pen joy.
Not one to dwell, I picked another pen. It took 10 minutes. For real.
Each pen I have has a personality, a reason, a thing it does better than all my other pens. Whether its for color or thickness, or the best pen to suit the story, each pen has a purpose. Try as I might to substitute another, less qualified pen to do the job of the Uniball Gel IMPACT pen, it was a 44 oz. serving of dissatisfaction. I could barely write at all. Each stroke felt like it was a 50 lb. weight in my hand dragging across an uncooperative page.
“With the stroke of a pen”, the pleasure of writing had all but disappeared.
Thankfully, an office supply fairy made a bulk purchase of 4 new Uniball Gel IMPACT pens at lunchtime, and my descent into writing hell was derailed.
Sometimes its the little things, like the tragedy of losing your favorite pen, to bring home how important your brand can be to it’s customers.
Moreover, my pen-tragedy-behavior nicely illustrates the cycle of brand love. But for those of you who don’t think in pictures like me, here it is (start at the top, and move clockwise):
When a person is connected to a brand, no other will do. That commitment is immune to similar products, similar features and/or benefits, price and/or availability. The brand experience (gliding effortlessly, no unnecessary holes or indentations) and ensuing brand trust and loyalty, prevents people from going to the dark side: the competitor.
Even in the face of diminishing brand experience (out of ink), people are catapulted to action in order to feel the brand love again. (buying the bulk pack of Uniball Gel IMPACT pens) Brand love – almost like a drug for some. No one I know, but for some…
Love Is The Drug. Hmm. Wasn’t that a Bryan Ferry Song in the 80’s?
According to a study on peak achievement article entitled, “UNDERSTANDING AND ACTIVATING YOUR BRAIN’S PLEASURE CENTERS” by Jonathan Cowan, Ph.D. and John Starman, MA,
“Having our full measure of happiness powerfully changes our view of life, our reactions to events and situations. It is amazing how different things appear when we are in a state of fear, rage, dire emergency or struggle compared to our experience when in a state of harmony, fulfillment and love. We are all looking for ways to be happy more of the time…and the possibility of influencing the system…”
In reviewing our illustration, you can see that brand love is indeed, a continuous cycle: experience-connection-trust-loyalty-[re]experience. Shower, rinse, repeat. The drive to reconnect with a brand experience inspires your audience to actively reconnect with your brand. After my pen-tragedy-behavior this morning, I can assure you that brand love is like a drug. Come hell or high water, nothing was going to keep me from my Uniball Gel IMPACT pens.
Does your brand inspire that kind of love, loyalty, connection and action in your customers?
I’ve heard that if its not “hell yes!”, its “no”. What are your thoughts?
Build A Brand That’s A Lifesaver
Years ago – a decade, in fact – Kevin Kline starred in a movie called LIFE AS A HOUSE. It was about an estranged family, splintered from divorce and dreams unrealized. In the movie, a house renovation ends up bringing that same family together in unexpected ways.
The house becomes a symbol: the heart of the family. This inanimate object (in the magic of movies) was able to reshape each family member’s behavior – helping them feel safe, familiar and ultimately, connected to each other again. Yes, its cry-worthy:
I thought about that on Thursday night as I was driving up north through central California. Some stretches of highway seem so isolated in the dark – just flat with lots of cow smells. Color comes by way of freeway signs for restaurants, motels and gas stations. Even if you’re not getting off on that exit, you are inevitably a little excited to see those signs coming up on the right.
The colors, the brands that you know; the “food” you want to eat; the places you would stay at; and the gas that you put in your vehicle. I’m an ARCO girl. Why? Because I like no-frills. I’m a get-in-get-the-gas-and-get-out kind of person. Besides, the way gas prices keep climbing, ARCO usually has the cheapest gas.
On a particularly lonely stretch of the 5 freeway, I noticed I was getting low on gas. “Low” for me, is anything below half a tank. Especially on that road. Sometimes its so deserted, you wonder if you’ll ever come across a town again? It was dark – black as coal – and a little windy to boot.
I started enabling my inner fatalist, wondering, “What if I get stuck out here? Who would pull over to help me besides a serial killer? Remember DUEL in 1971 with Dennis Weaver?
Suddenly, there was my lifesaver: THE ARCO STATION. I knew I’d see the familiar Blue and Red, be able to get my gas without a TV commercial talking to me at the pump, and not pay an arm and a leg – because EVERYONE KNOWS that extra 7 cents a gallon will JUST PUSH YOU OVER THE EDGE!
So, I pulled off into a town-I’ve-never-heard-of, and was embraced by the friendly, low prices of the blue and red. My fears were assuaged, as I was no longer in danger of being chased by a psychotic truck driver in my non-existent Plymouth Valiant.
When I drove away with confidence and a full tank of gas, I thought about how relieved I was that ARCO was there. In the sea of darkness of a lonely California highway, I found a familiar brand – just like the one around the corner from my house. Indeed, they DID have the cheapest gas from miles around. Most importantly, I was in and out quickly (so the highway serial killers and psychotic truck drivers couldn’t catch me). Am I a brand evangelist for ARCO? You bet your sweet bippee!
I started to think of all my favorite brands what they make me feel like.
Here’s a short list:
Apple – Cool. The coolest “what’s next”.
Starbucks – Thirsty. Really good brewed iced tea.
Target – Relaxed. Everything I need.
Crate & Barrel – Intrigued. Beautifully designed things.
How does your brand make your customers feel?
Is your brand their lifesaver?
If it isn’t, would you like it to be?
How Enchanted Are Your Customers?
Slightly enchanted?
Positively enchanted?
Uber enchanted?
OR Unenchanted?
If you haven’t checked out Guy Kawasaki’s new book, Enchantment, you may want to. I’ve been reading it and thinking about how this idea of enchantment relates to the building products industry. At first, it made me chuckle. Enchanted customers in the building products industry floating around with wings a flapping and sprinkling fairy dust all around the office. Sorry, this is what I actually thought of.
Guy describes enchantment as “causing a voluntary change of heart and mind and, therefore, actions.” The goal is not to sell them your tool or product or widget, but to fill them with great delight and completely transform the relationship. Enchantment reshapes, converts and changes behaviors. Enchanted customers are more loyal. They are changed for having done business with you.
You must know what your customers are thinking. Kawasaki uses an example from when he worked for Apple in the 80′s. Apple failed to sell Macs to the business market because they didn’t understand what their potential customers were thinking. They were so enchanted by their own product that they couldn’t understand why everyone else didn’t feel the same way. Apple was “me” focused instead of “you” focused. They were more enchanted with themselves than with addressing the needs and concerns of their customers.
Are you and your team focused on enchanting your customers or in selling them on why your brand is so enchanting? It’s tough. It’s easy to get caught up in selling instead of serving. Relying only on traditional marketing instead of evolving with customer trends. Engaging customers. Conversing with them. Listening to them. Giving them something they didn’t even know they needed.
Now, some of you have already figured out that potential customers are enchanted with video content on YouTube. Greg Jarboe is the author of YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day. He says that video content that is enchanting must provide intrinsic value to the viewer. He states that this value comes in four forms:
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Inspiration
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Entertainment
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Enlightenment
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Education
The idea is for you to supply a regular stream of video online that inspires, entertains, enlightens or educates your audience. This is a great way to enchantment current and potential customers. I can’t tell you how many manufacturers and distributors in the building products industry are not taking advantage of this fantastic medium. The ones that have are benefitting greatly.
I also encourage you to enchant your employees, but that is another conversation. Until then, please comment on this idea of enchantment. How are you enchanting your customers? What would move them?
10 Ways to Create a Sensation Around Your Brand: Part 6
CREATE SATISFACTION –
Show them the way!
Customers in the building products industry generally base satisfaction on three things: a quality product, dependable delivery and cost/value at every price point.
Even if you’ve got those bases covered, a bad experience along the trail of a transaction could taint an otherwise positive perception of your brand. (Like finding a hair in your soup at a favorite restaurant. Probably an innocent, isolated mistake on the part of a kitchen employee—but it’s one you won’t soon forget.)
That’s why it’s so helpful to mentally—and wherever possible, physically—walk yourself through your customer’s experience with your brand, and look for gaps in communication or process that could be thwarting your chances for 100% customer satisfaction.
Start in cyberspace.
Are you easy to find online? Would a customer new to the market—or a buyer who’s comparison-shopping—find your website on a search results list? Make sure your web team is using search engine optimization (SEO) tools and techniques to land your brand at the top of results lists, especially for searches on specific products you sell.
Visit your website.
Websites can be a mine field of “dead ends”, particularly for new prospects who arrive via search. Does your homepage welcome first-timers with a clear, concise summary of who you are, what you sell, to whom, and why you’re the best choice for a buyer? Does it tell them what to do next?
Travel your site in different scenarios: as a first-time customer ready to buy, an existing customer whose order is being delayed, a customer awaiting a delivery, a customer with product questions. Look for roadblocks such as broken links, inconsistent or outdated information, pages that are “under construction”. No only do they confuse and frustrate customers, they leave the impression that your brand doesn’t have its act together.
Subscribe to your blog or e-newsletter.
Use an alternate e-mail address and start a new subscription. Is the sign-up process simple and fast? Do you receive a confirmation/welcome message right away? Does the look and feel of the blog or newsletter reflect your brand? Is the content useful and informative?
Go on a sales call.
Tag along with your sales people from time to time, as Louis and Company VP of Marketing Greg Rewers does each year. Look and listen from the customer’s perspective. Is your brand’s personality, its uniqueness, reflected in the verbal presentation? In your catalog and marketing materials? Are the spoken and written messages in sync? Is the follow-up prompt and friendly?
Then follow an order.
Open a faux account with your company and place an order. Then put yourself in the customer’s shoes as you receive order confirmations, updates on shipping status, out-of-stock notifications and the like—via email, postal mail or personal phone call.
Do the communications from your company have a consistent, professional look and feel? Are the messages clear and concise? Do they invite questions along the way, and tell customers how to contact you? And most important:
Is every effort being made to resolve problems, shorten delays and make the customer happy? In addition to ride-alongs, Louis and Company’s Greg Rewers conducts annual “vendor check-ups” to ensure that the supply chain flow is healthy and smooth, lessening the chance for fulfillment glitches and other barriers to customer satisfaction.
EL&EL Wood Products is another example of a company that removes barriers and resolves customer issues swiftly and painlessly. Recently, one of their sales people was visiting a customer and overheard a problem (that didn’t involve EL&EL). The sales rep made some calls and said, “WE can take care of your problem and install it for you tomorrow morning. What time should our man be there?”
Now that’s creating customer satisfaction!
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There’s no better way to broaden your perspective and understanding of your customers’ true experience with your brand than to walk in their footsteps. Fill any gaps you uncover along the way, and your customers will walk away happy. Satisfied. And eager to do business with you again.
Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.
Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com
10 Ways To Create A Sensation Around Your Brand – Part 4
CREATE CONNECTION -
Bond with your customers,
and keep them
Lest you worry that this installment in our e-series is about hugs and warm fuzzies—which aren’t exactly common in the building products industry—let’s begin with a definition: A connection is a feeling of understanding and ease of communication between two or more people.
Connecting with customers is more about earning their trust than selling them your products. In years past I saw a lot more “selling” than “connecting” taking place in this industry, but that’s all changing. It’s exciting to see that some B2B marketing execs have already embraced this concept and are running with it.
I recently interviewed Michael Williams of Festool, a company competing on quality and value over price. Festool connects with customers through education, training 400 dealer staff and more than 100 end-users a year on the best uses and applications of their products.
“The Festool Training Program, the online Festool Owners Group, and more and more our monthly email newsletter, SysNotes, are our most important means for building strong and lasting relationships with our customers,” Michael said. “Mainly, this is due to the very personal and genuine nature of these programs.” So how can you connect customers with your brand in a meaningful way? Try these ideas:
Host a shindig.
Invite small groups of customers (and prospects) over for lunch, a tour, a product demo. Spend time getting to know each of them and their needs, and follow up to see if there’s a need you can fill.
Show your appreciation.
Thank your regular customers with special perks, exclusive sales or even barbeques in their honor. And don’t forget that a simple, handwritten postcard can make a powerful connection—and it won’t get lost in a sea of email.
Share your expertise.
Offer to do a product knowledge session at a customer’s location; they can invite some of their key customers to attend. Share information you glean from industry conferences or workshops. And pack your e-newsletter with practical tips your customer can use.
Make it personal.
Create a simple database to store information about your customers—what they buy, how they like to be reached, personal interests and other information you can use in future conversations and mailings.
Build a community.
Include on your homepage an invitation to subscribe to your e-newsletter. Use Twitter® and Facebook® to start conversations around a particular product or line. And use social media to create a customer community around their interests (and your products) a la the Festool Owners Group.
Keep in touch.
Communicating with your customers year round—using all the available tools—demonstrates commitment and care.
Go the extra mile.
Look for ways to deliver more value—email alerts on the status of orders, longer business hours for customer service, or another product or service your customers will appreciate. Make resolving issues your first priority, and put price and $$ second; your customers will walk away feeling like they come first.
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Above all, keep in touch. Communicate with your customers year round, using all the available tools. Brands that stay connected cultivate loyalty (but that’s next month’s topic).
Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.
Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com
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