Inspired by their time contributing to FC Now, Paul Williams and John Moore have started their own blog. Launching about a week ago, BrandAutopsy continues the conversation started here, addressing marketing, the aspiration gap, ...READ»
I'd like to add my voice to the chorus in thanking Paul Williams and John Moore for sharing their time, energy, and expertise to our blog discussions last week. These two took a personal and professional risk in joining our ...READ»
Thank you, Paul and John, for your contributions to FC Now last week! We had a nice run, and I really appreciate you sharing your advice, experience, and ideas. To make it easy for FC Now readers to access all of Paul and John's ...READ»
I've started this wrap-up posting 4 or 5 times... The versions ranged everything from something sounding like an awards thank you speech, 'thank you Heath, Alison, Starbucks, Mom...' to lyrics from the 1969 song "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss ...READ»
I admit - prior to this FC Now guest host gig I was a blogging neophyte. I had read the occasional blog but never had I participated. That was then, this is now.
I am now a blogging convert. All praise due to ...READ»
The Aspirational Gap that is.
Ever heard of it? If you are marketing a lifestyle brand then you must do everything to close the Aspirational Gap.
A gap exists between a consumer's aspirations and their actual lifestyle. All ...READ»
The world of marketing is all about ideas and the execution of ideas. But where do you get your ideas from? Is it at home in the morning on your patio sipping coffee? Or is it in the shower? Where do you get your ideas from? ...READ»
So, you're interested to know more? About a time when things didn't go as planned?
Years ago, my first big corporate marketing project after transitioning from a Starbucks field marketing position was to develop an in-store ...READ»
One way Wall Street measures the financial health of a company is through their comp sales.
Comp sales compares sales recorded from this year as with sales from the same time last year. For example, Starbucks recently recorded 11% ...READ»
While compiling a list of my favorite all-time business books for a fellow FC Now poster, I thought about which marketing books published in 2003 I felt were the best reads. In typical Best-of-the-Year fashion, I present to you my ...READ»
This entry is to help give more context behind the questions Alison asked in her post that wanted to know exactly how to create a great customer experience.
The following story is real. It was implemented in the Summer of 2001 in ...READ»
The answer to Alison's question is in the question. There is no one formula for delivering a great customer experience. The dynamics involved with delivering great customer experiences is just as complex as our personalities are ...READ»
I'm fascinated by Paul's post about putting new programs through "The Kevlar Test" to make sure that a great idea can truly be translated into a great new program... not because I don't think his steps are right on target, but ...READ»
It can be frustrating to put a business, marketing or promotional plan together that seems like such a great idea and then, post-promotion, scratching your head wishing you had thought out "that glitch" beforehand.
One of the ...READ»
As director of national marketing for a grocer, I read with great interest the Fast Company December cover story - "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know." As you know, Wal-Mart is single-handedly responsible for the drive to commoditization ...READ»
Tom's comment got me thinking in terms of customer loyalty as marrying a customer with a company. The similarities are endless... rich territory for discussion.
Is your loyalty to a company as fleeting as the loyalty you had to ...READ»
When developing in-store creative, you can think of your customers as cars on a highway. They are zipping in and out of your store and have limited time to read the "billboards" you've posted. You have just a few seconds at each ...READ»
I agree totally with Bodie Le Monz's post where he writes, "loyalty does not create satisfaction (but can create repeat purchases) but satisfaction creates loyalty."
All loyalty programs, no matter the mechanics, are designed to ...READ»
In his post Marketing on the Down-Low II, Heath asked how/if releasing, retracting, and re-releasing enhances customer loyalty. Jon Strande then commented that this marketing approach "... has NO benefit for the customer, just the ...READ»
Starbucks has always said they're in the "people business, serving coffee." The Starbucks Experience is being in a place where you feel welcome. It's getting that drink customized to your liking, hand-crafted by a proud barista, a ...READ»
Per Alison's post where she asks - How do your companies talk about customer service? How do they teach it, and how do your corporate leaders embody the company's service principles (or do they)?
Customer service is something that ...READ»
In his comment, Joseph Price asked if there has ever been a marketing strategy that purposely kept a great product on the down-low to build loyalty through grass-roots word of mouth.
Yes. There have been many marketing campaigns ...READ»
Keith Hammond's post on Friday about the Insane Discount Season got me thinking.
Many retailers offered customers Early Bird Specials to entice so-called professional shoppers to begin their post Turkey Day shopping frenzy at their ...READ»
Hello FC Now followers - this week is going to be fun.
Interesting story that got us here in the first place. It all started with Alison Overholt's post regarding a poor customer service experience she had with Starbucks. She used ...READ»
