Perception Analyzer Dial.Log

Cult of IKEA

Here is an interesting article on the worldwide sensation that is IKEA.  There are some great lessons to be learned.

Hey Kids, Here Comes the Pitch (VI)

The British Heart Association has launched the Food4Thought campaign designed to give kids the real (and sometime scary) scoop on what they're eating and how to make better food choices.  They aim to shock with images of raw, unprocessed ingredients in such fast foods as hot dogs, chicken nuggets and burgers.  But more importantly, they offer food facts (for the good and the bad), a glossary of food label items, recipes and more.  This is a great effort!

Previous relevant posts:
Hey Kids, Here Comes the Pitch
Hey Kids, Here Comes the Pitch (II)
Hey Kids, Here Comes the Pitch (III)
Hey Kids, Here Comes the Pitch (IV)
Hey Kids, Here Comes the Pitch (V)

via [Slashfood]

TV: Online and On Demand

I just watched the first NBC Nightly News Netcast.  It's an online replay of the NBC Nightly News available after 10:00pm each night.  The netcast opens with an ad or two, launches into the program and breaks twice more for a couple of ads each time.  One interesting ad model I observed was when an video ad for Listerine played in the left pane and a still ad for Listerine was served-up in the right pane.  If interested, you can click the right pane to go to the Listerine website.  That model could certainly be effective if the two ads worked synergistically to use the video ad to drive viewers to click for more information or to continue with an interactive experience.

Between this netcast, NBC and CBS selling reruns for $0.99 and ABC making content available through iTunes, television and its ad models are certainly changing.

Environmentally Unfriendly Marketing

My associate, Wes Breazeale, took issue with a FedEx direct mail piece he (and apparently many others) received today.  Here's his rant:

I work in sales, so naturally I have nothing against aggressive marketing.  We need it to get the job done and I appreciate a well done piece as much as the next guy.  But there are certain points where other factors seem to be more pressing than the marketing aspect and a recent mailing I received from Federal Express is a sample of marketing done poorly, at least in my opinion.

Announcing FedEx's new ground shipping options, the piece encourages people to "share the great news" that you can now use drop boxes to drop off your packages.  I'm not sure I'm ready to call all my friends or buy the next round in honor of this exciting news, but I will tell them (and you) about why the piece really makes me angry.

The piece was akin to the omnipresent AOL cd's sent out by the millions in that my main issue is what it is made of.  Measuring 10" x 6", it's really no bigger than a large postcard, but it is made out of rather thick plastic or vinyl.  For something they must know is going to be tossed in the trash by a large number of recipients, this is a rather serious example of a corporation being completely and utterly socially unconscious.  This thing cannot be recycled, even by the most die hard recycler.  Thousands (if not millions) of these cards will fester in our dumps for centuries.  But fortunately, when future archaeologists finally unearth them, they will be able to share the news that there is a quick and easy way to ship their discoveries back to the office.

It's frustrating that every time we take one step forward, something like this pops up that takes us one step back.

Experiential Divine (II)

Tom Peters had an excellent customer service experience at The Four Seasons.  He and his wife were traveling and dinner plans conflicted with a TV show they wanted to catch.  They asked the Concierge if the show could be recorded and the requested with granted.  In addition to returning from dinner to find a VCR with the recorded show and a nice note in their room, they were also left a plate of treats.  Recording the show was nice enough.  Having it ready to watch in the room that same evening was above and beyond.  Leaving a plate of treats is what makes The Four Seasons remarkable.

Another great example of this is last week an associate of mine, with a brutal cold, was traveling all week and staying at his usual Hilton hotels. One evening he felt so bad he phoned the Concierge and asked for a thermometer to check his fever. They brought one to him right away and then proceeded to send up some soup and checked-in with him periodically to see how he was feeling and if there was anything he needed. 

How many people will they both tell about their great and unexpected experiences?  How may people reading this blog and Tom's will spread the word.   What are you doing to surprise your customers and garner this kind of word of mouth?

Experiential Divine

Some great stuff on customer experience today...

First, Daddy Types tells us that The Cheesecake Factory brings kids a snack plate while their family is waiting to order and get their food.  Sounds like you don't have to ask for it, they just know that's the time when kids get the most impatient and start causing a ruckus (let's be honest).  This simple thing keeps the kids happy which in turn keeps the parents and other diners happy who then reward The Cheesecake Factory with repeat business.  It's the circle of life (or Hakuna Matata - a reference those with kids will certainly get).

Next, Decker Marketing shares a great list of 10 ways to create and manage experience: [via EX Group]

1. Experiences don't just happen; they need to be planned.
2. Think about the customer experience first—and then about the functional features and benefits of your brand.
3. Be obsessive about the details of the experience.
4. Create a small touch that sums up and stylizes your experience. (The Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong places yellow rubber ducks in its bathrooms—a quirky, memorable touch.)
5. Think situation, not product: "Grooming in the bathroom," instead of "razor"; "casual meal" instead of "hot dog"; "travel" instead of "transportation."
6. Strive for holistic experiences—experiences that are sensory, emotional, thought-provoking and relevant.
7. Track experiences across media: logos, ads, packaging, advertising and websites.
8. Use multiple metrics—from quantitative to verbal to visual. Be explorative and creative and worry about reliability, validity and methodological sophistication later.
9. Consider how the experience changes as the brand expands onto the Web or across international borders.
10. Add dynamism and "Dionysianism" to your company and brand. Most brands are too timid and too bureaucratic. Be ecstatic, passionate and creative.

Brand Building

Here is an interesting article from Brand Channel about the challenges and potential benefits of launching a new brand into a particularly saturated market.

via [AdJab]